A Thief Captured
by CeraFleur
Summary: Sakura Haruno is a beautiful and exceptional thief able to make a robbery without a trace. What happens when she is captured by the Akatsuki? Rated M for future chapters
1. Caught

**A Thief Captured**

Summary: Sakura Haruno is a beautiful and exceptional thief who is always able to make a heist without a trace. She is surprised, however, when a group of shinobi – the Akatsuki, namely - catches her right in the act. What happens to her when she is captured?

**Me: I don't own Naruto. But the plot is mine.**

**Oh, and I have to clear out some of the things here. **

**-First off, the Akatsuki here are not S-ranked enemy ninjas. They happen to be a group of the most elite jounin in Konoha. **

**-Second, Sakura is also a jounin, together with Naruto, but they are infamous and therefore not known by many, except for bounty hunters, police forces and such.**

**Enjoy reading!**

Chapter One: Caught

A laugh could be heard from the large art room. It belonged to Sakura Haruno, a master thief. She was disguised as an escort of one of the guests, attending the birthday party of one of the most famous artists during that time, Kohaku Misawa.

"Miss Yuihane!" a voice called, interrupting Sakura's friendly chat with one of the visitors.

"Excuse me, I must leave, my escort is calling me. Thank you for the wonderful chat," she said, waving to the lady as she approached her friend and partner-in-crime, Naruto Uzumaki.

"What is it?" she asked, looking impatient as the guests started gathering in the middle of the room, as music began to fill the area.

"You better hurry up, Sakura-chan! It's just an hour away before the party ends. You better find which paintings you were looking for so we can steal it quicker!" Naruto explained.

"Yeah, you're right, I better start doing that. And by the way," Sakura said, eyeing the blonde suspiciously, "just where did you get an invitation for this exclusive party?"

"Oh, that! Well, I was just lucky that one of the bags I've stolen had an invitation! Hahaha!" Naruto grinned.

"Nice job," she replied before turning her back on him and disappearing, mingling with the rest of the crowd.

The rosette walked around the area, looking for one particular artwork that could be sold for millions. She had scanned one half of the room, and she was about to leave when a finger tapped her shoulder.

She turned around to find a man with blonde hair with a hint of brown on it smiling at her. His obsidian eyes scanned her being, then asked, "May I have this dance, beautiful lady?"

She had no other choice but to agree, placing her hand on top of his and letting him lead her to the dance floor. He put her hand on her waist and they gracefully moved across the room, doing a nice, slow dance.

Her long, pastel pink hair and her black, flowing gown swayed as the two followed the rhythm of the music. After a few minutes of waltzing the young man looked at her and inquired, "What's your name, miss?" in a slightly British accent.

_Wow, this guy might be rich!_ She thought to herself, and then answered his question.

"I'm Saika Yuihane." she said, using her alias for her mission. "And what would be yours, kind sir?"

"Maki Misawa."

"Misawa!" Sakura exclaimed as the two stopped dancing and headed over to the buffet table. "You must be related to the host of the party, the great painter Kohaku Misawa!"

"Yes, indeed. I am his brother," he replied, rather smugly.

She rolled her eyes at him – secretly of course - and commented, "If your brother is a genius at art, then surely you would be also extremely talented at a particular field, am I right?"

"Thank you for the compliment, Ms. Yuihane. I am a musician, known all over Europe as the "Graceful Melody"," he informed her, handing her some punch.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Misawa."

"Please, just call me Maki."

She gulped down the last of her punch, then smiled before heading off to another direction. Little did Maki know that his wallet had been stolen from him. Sakura chuckled inwardly, hiding the item in her gown, between her breasts.

**†****†****†****†****†**

As she made her way through the sea of people she accidentally bumped into someone. She tumbled back, making her sit on the floor.

"Are you okay?"

_That voice,_ Sakura thought. It was familiar to her, like she had seen him somewhere long ago.

She looked up at him, staring straight at his russet eyes that appeared cold, at the same time hiding a hint of kindness and gentleness. His fiery red hair and his handsome face seemed to put the thief in a trance.

"Miss? Miss, are you alright?"

His silky voice startled the young lady out of her thoughts. She realized that she was still sitting and stammered out, "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

_Shit,_ she said to herself. _He could be that shinobi I saw before, the one who took down my sensei and captured him!_

The gentleman helped her get up and chuckled softly. Sakura stood there with her face flushed with embarrassment, dusting off imaginary dust on her dress. She laughed nervously, then thanked the man and went to continue her objective. As she turned to leave, a strong hand grabbed her arm, making her face the man once again.

"What is your name, my princess?" he inquired, his passive face sending shivers down her spine.

She collected her calm and retorted, "Shouldn't you introduce yourself first before I let you know my name?"

"Oh, right, I have completely forgotten my manners. I am Akasuna no Sasori, and it is very nice to meet such a fair maiden like you," he introduced, taking her hand and kissing the back of it.

Sakura blushed, but kept her cool and tried to hide it. "Saika Yuihane. And I am also pleased to meet a fine gentleman like you." She took her hand away and said, "Now I must leave. Thank you for helping me up. And I am truly sorry for running into you. Have a nice evening, Mr. Akasuna no Sasori." She disappeared once again, her silky black dress drifting behind her as she walked.

"Sakura Haruno, a.k.a Saika Yuihane," Sasori muttered, catching the attention of his companion.

"Did you say something, Sasori no Danna, yeah?" he asked, tossing his long, golden hair out of his view, revealing his cerulean eye.

"The cat has sighted the mouse, Deidara. The hunt will be tonight," Sasori answered as he departed, seeking out his other comrades.

Deidara shrugged, not knowing what his friend was talking about, then followed him.

**After the party**

"Sakura, did you find the painting yet?" Naruto asked, hiding behind a small plant as he watched the guests leave.

"Yes, Naruto. Now I suggest that you shut your mouth and avoid any unnecessary noises while I do my job." Sakura replied.

"Hmm, Sakura, why are you very cautious today? It's not like the other visitors can sense our presence, you know," the blonde reasoned.

"If you must know, I ran into Akasuna no Sasori a while ago. And I just happen to know that Sasori is one of the high-ranked shinobi here in Konoha, together with his group also known as Akatsuki. He may be aware of my identity as one of the greatest robbers in the country, so it's only natural for him to be on the lookout." She replied, not taking her eyes off the entrance door.

"Look, the last guest is leaving!" Naruto whispered, jumping a bit when the lights were turned off and the door was slammed shut.

The two stayed still for a moment, making sure no one was left behind, while Sakura checked the place for any signs of chakra in the area. Finding nothing, she sighed and stood up.

"Stay here, Naruto, and keep watch of the surroundings. Whistle when you sense someone. I'll make it quick."

Sakura quickly found her way across the dark and silent room, her bare feet making inaudible footsteps. She had catlike senses, and can almost see perfectly in the dark. Her hearing was also outstanding; she could hear a drop of a pin a few feet away from her.

A few seconds later she was in front of the most famous paintings of all time, "The Paradise". It was enclosed in a glass container, so Sakura pulled out her laser gun and cut a hole large enough for the painting to go through. She didn't worry about the security system; she had Naruto to hack the system and shut it down.

She quickly completed the task and held before her the precious item that would make her filthy rich soon. She was about to go back when she heard a deep voice say,

"Put the painting down. We've got you surrounded."

"Shit!" she cursed. _How the hell could have anyone gotten into here?_ She thought. She looked at Naruto who was knocked out cold. She glared ferociously at her opponents, dropping the said painting and putting her hands up.

"There you go. I didn't realize you would be so obedient, Pinky," a blue shark-like man said, approaching the rosette carefully.

Sakura saw this as an opportunity to attack, so she placed a strong kick right in his jaw, sending the shark-man a few feet away. The others became alert, so they encircled the culprit to prevent her from escaping. Sakura pretended to throw a punch to the enemy on her right, catching him off-guard. She slipped between his legs then dashed away, running as fast as her long legs could.

"That fucking bitch," a man with silver hair and magenta eyes said, growing impatient with the pink-haired thief.

"Wait, I've got a plan," Sasori stated.

**†****†****†****†****†**

Sakura sat down against the wall, certain that she was very far from the group of shinobi. _There must be eight of them,_ she calculated. And she was sure that all of them shouldn't be underestimated.

All of a sudden a kunai was launched at her direction. She flipped to the side, dodging it, but another one was fired straight at her. She quickly brought out one of her kunais and threw it, deflecting the projectile. She was surprised when she felt a kunai blade pressed against her neck, restraining her movements.

"One wrong move and you're dead, kunoichi," the person holding her hostage warned.

"Fuck you," she growled.

"Rule number one: Never let your guard down. Tsk, seems like you've already forgotten such a basic thing such as that, Saika Yuihane. Or should I say, _Sakura Haruno_," Sasori drawled out, stepping out of the shadows. "Itachi, please take care of her."

Itachi let out a soft "Hn," then appeared in front of her, activating his Sharingan. Sakura was careless enough to look at his eyes.

_Naruto, save me… _was her last thought before she passed out.

**Me: So, what do you guys think? Should I continue it?**

**However, I won't make a single update if you won't review.**

**Oh, and I also have a poll about which stories I should update more often. I hope you answer them.  
**

**Till next time!**

**~ .Akatsuki no Konan-sama. ~**

**[Satsuki-chan]**


	2. A Thief Never Gives Up

**A Thief Captured**

**Me: Don't own Naruto, plot is mine.

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Chapter Two: A Thief Never Gives Up

Naruto woke up to the sounds of police sirens. He immediately sat up, and realized that a policeman was staring at him funnily. He approached him and interrogated, "What are you doing here, lad? Have you got anything to do with the incident here?"

Naruto froze, remembering last night's incidents. He looked around and saw the painting on the floor, surrounded by yellow police tape **[idk what it's called]** and different people dusting the place with fingerprint dust. He laughed and said, "Oh no, sir, I must have drunk too much last night. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go home, this hangover is killing me!!"

The police nodded and turned around, walking towards the crime scene. Naruto left without a word, trying to reiterate the events before he blacked out.

**Flashback**

_Naruto watched Sakura walk soundlessly to where the painting was located, putting on her gloves as she strutted. He laid his eyes on her rear, which was slightly swaying left and right, and at once perverted thoughts entered his mind about what he'll do once he gets his hands on it. _

_Naruto was still daydreaming when he felt that something was off in that place. He stood silent, listening intently for the enemy's movements and sensing for chakra, and once he confirmed that there were opponents – and he found out that it was the Akatsuki, based on their chakra signatures – within range, he turned his head towards Sakura's direction and shouted, "Sakura, enemy!!"_

_But before the words left his mouth, he felt someone pressing a pressure point on his neck, effectively knocking him out._

"_Sakura-chan…" he called faintly as his head hit the carpeted floor with a soft thud._

**End flashback**

He hurried to their hide-out near the end of the city, eager to give Sai, their landlord, the horrible news. He slammed the door open, which caused it to break one of its hinges.

"Well well, aren't we eager, eh, Naruto? And you better pay for that door," Sai stated, pasting another of his signature fake smiles.

"This is no time for your jokes, Sai! Sakura has been kidnapped by the Akatsuki!" Naruto shouted, panting breathlessly.

Sai's smile quickly turned into a frown, for he knew that the Akatsuki were a group of top ninjas – and they were not easy opponents. He quickly asked Naruto about the details, and was disappointed that his knowledge was limited due to his state when one of the Akatsuki put him to sleep.

"I see, Naruto," he said, nodding seriously as he pondered on the possibilities of why the Akatsuki had done such a thing. He first thought of the fact that the Akatsuki might turn her over to the Hokage, but then there was the option of satisfying their sexual needs. Or they might need her exceptional taijutsu and medical skills, and recruit her into their group – forcefully, he reasoned. Either way she was in danger; and she needed them both – fast.

He sighed and turned to the blonde ninja, who was walking back and forth restlessly, his eyes almost overflowing with tears. Sai understood his situation – after all, Sakura had been their best friend since they were kids, and she was like the sister they never had.

"Naruto, it won't help if you march around like that. Why don't you calm down and rest for a while; I'm sure we'll think of a plan somehow." Sai suggested.

Naruto glared at Sai for acting so indifferently, but then again he had a point. So instead of moping around he proceeded upstairs and went to his room. He laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about Sakura.

"Don't worry Sakura," Naruto muttered as he closed his eyes, "We'll find you, wherever you are."

**†****†****†****†****†**

Sakura stirred, opening her eyes slightly. She quickly recalled what happened to her at the museum, and quickly shot her head up, scanning the room for any of the enemy's chakra. When she found none she slowly moved her arms and legs, realizing that they weren't tied up like she expected them to be.

"Hmm, they're pretty loose with captives," she muttered, flexing her muscles as she bended forward, then backward. She smiled when she heard the familiar "pop!" of her joints. She stood still for a moment, feeling if her body was violated in any way. She was relieved when she found that no one from the Akatsuki had touched her, but she was disappointed when she realized that her weapons had been confiscated and her chakra had been taken away. But at least her wallet was still intact inside her dress.

She walked around the dim and windowless room, finding it hard to see in the dark due to insufficient chakra, but she managed to find a steel door.

"Seems like the Akatsuki doesn't have any common sense," she said, forming a smirk on her full, pale pink lips. She grabbed the doorknob and turned it, expecting to see her freedom on the other side of the door. Big mistake – the moment she twisted it, an electric current ran through her body, making Sakura jump back at the pain.

"Now who's got no common sense, hm?" The door opened, revealing a shinobi with long, blonde hair, and long bangs on one side of his face, hiding one of his sky blue eyes. He approached the girl, who hissed and spat at him in response.

"Whoa, you're feisty, yeah," he said as he watched the offending liquid fall near his feet. "You better watch that mouth of yours, kunoichi. I'd hate to see anything bad happen to it. It might have some advantages, hm."

He stared at her emerald eyes which were burning with anger and determination. He realized that she was staring back at him confusedly, like she was trying to figure something out.

"Do you want something, yeah?" he inquired.

"No, I was just thinking… Are you a guy?" she asked.

Deidara looked insulted with the girl's straightforward question. "Of course I'm a guy, yeah!" he replied.

"Are you a… _straight_ guy?"

Deidara's visible eye started twitching with anger. "Of course I'm straight, you idiot! Have you ever seen me sleeping with one of the guys here?!" he exploded, forgetting to insert a "hm" or a "yeah" in his sentences.

"How should I know?" she retorted. "I don't even know you anyway!"

"Deidara." he said.

Sakura was quiet. "What was that?"

"Deidara. My name, yeah. Are you deaf, or are you just plain stupid, hm?"

Sakura decided to ignore the insults thrown back at her. Instead she muttered, "I'm Sakura Haruno."

There was a long silence between the two, which was until Sakura's stomach grumbled with hunger. Deidara laughed uncontrollably, doubling over as Sakura glared at him venomously with a blush covering his cheeks.

"I'll… I'll go get your food, yeah," he said, wiping tears off his eyes. He was still chuckling when Itachi entered the room.

"Itachi Uchiha..?" she asked, eyeing the Uchiha warily.

Itachi replied, "I am pleased that you already know my name, which means there will be no more need for introductions. Leader-sama requests your presence, Haruno-san." He tied Sakura's wrists with a chakra-binding rope, then escorted the rosette to the Leader's office. He knocked on the door twice before hearing a voice say, "Enter."

Itachi stepped inside, with Sakura right behind her. "I have brought Haruno-san as you ordered, Leader-sama," he stated.

"Well done," replied the voice. "You are dismissed."

Itachi left, closing the door behind him. Sakura was startled when a candle lit up, illuminating the place.

"Come forward, Haruno-san," Leader-sama ordered.

She hesitated for a second, but did what the Leader said. She took a few steps forward, where she found the Leader right in front of her. He had spiky orange hair, kinda like Naruto's, and ringed eyes that looked creepy. He also had many piercings on his face. He looked scary, yet handsome in way.

"Why am I here?" she asked, fear showing in her lively green eyes.

"We have not kidnapped you to turn you over, for we have found you as a great addition to our organization. We have heard that you are extremely skilled in the fields of taijutsu and medicine, am I correct?"

"Yes," Sakura confirmed.

"Well, Haruno-san, I am giving you the opportunity to join this organization." Leader offered.

Sakura became still, then sighed. "…I don't get a choice here, do I?" she asked.

"Apparently not."

"Okay, I'll join this little club. It doesn't matter anyway." she replied.

"…What do you mean?" Leader questioned.

"Even if I join you guys I'll still be able to find a way to escape and get back to my friends. A thief never gives up." she stated determinedly.

Leader merely chuckled at what she said. _Such a foolish girl,_ he thought. He cleared his throat and said, "Tell Itachi that you have been accepted in the Akatsuki so that he may get your cloak, your ring and some other important things that you will need. You are now dismissed."

"Oh and one more thing," he said. Sakura turned around.

"You are surrounded by 9 elite jounins. It will be useless if you try to escape." He added.

Sakura smirked, then headed to the door. She stopped midway, then turned back to Leader.

"Um, Leader-sama?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"Could you… take off this rope? I'm finding it hard to open the door with my hands tied up."

Leader laughed and motioned Sakura to come closer. He cut the bindings with a kunai while Sakura uttered a small "thank you" to the pierced man.

She went outside and explored the area, accidentally bumping into one of the members.

"Gomen nasai," she apologized.

"No, it's okay," he replied.

Sakura stared at his large Venus flytrap-thingy that covered his head, then to his face which had a dichromatic color of black and white.

"**Would you please stop staring?" **he said in an irritated voice.

"What's your name?" Sakura asked.

"Zetsu," he replied, his voice sounding calmer.

"Hey Zetsu, is that Venus flytrap-thing natural, or is it some side effect of a jutsu?" she asked curiously.

"It's natural. **Why are you asking?" **His two sides replied.

"Nothing," Sakura answered, putting her hands behind her head as she passed by him.

"And by the way, Zetsu," she added, "That thing of yours – I think it's kinda weird, honestly. But I like it. It's what makes you unique. See you around!"

Zetsu watched the girl disappear as she turned around a corner.

"She's one strange girl, isn't she?" his White Side asked.

"**Sure is. But you gotta admit, she is kinda cute."** replied the Black Side, shrugging.

**†****†****†****†****†**

Sakura walked around the base, exploring the place. She was fascinated with the Akatsuki base, with its Victorian-themed interior of black and red. It looked slightly dull, but at the same time calming. She didn't look where she was going, resulting to another collision with another co-member.

She bowed, apologizing profusely. I really should be more aware of my surroundings, or else I could make an enemy with one of the associates here, noted Sakura.

She looked up to see a doll-like face and porcelain complexion, with dark blue hair and sapphire eyes. Sakura was awed with the beauty of this person. She looked calm and perfect.

"I am guessing you are Sakura Haruno, the latest member of the Akatsuki," the woman spoke.

Sakura nodded, still open-mouthed. She quickly shook her head lightly and laughed.

"I am glad that you know my name…"

"Konan. My name is Konan."

"..Konan-sama."

The blue-haired woman offered to accompany Sakura to Itachi's room, talking with the new member along the way.

"Konan-sama…" Sakura started.

"Please. Call me Konan. There's no need to use formalities here, since we treat each other as an equal, except for Leader-sama, of course." Konan corrected. "Tell me, Sakura, why did you join the Akatsuki?"

"Me? I did not wish to join the Akatsuki," she said, "I became a member to kill time, since I know that it'll take a while for me to get out of here."

Konan raised an eyebrow, then continued walking.

"Well, here we are. This is Itachi's room." she said, stopping in front of a room with the Uchiha symbol engraved on the front.

"Thank you, Konan."

Konan smiled softly, then left.

Sakura closed her eyes, then knocked at Itachi's door. She waited for a response, but received none. As she was about to leave, assuming that Itachi wasn't there, she heard a soft voice say, "Come in."

She opened the door gingerly, then stepped inside the room. The smell of cinnamon invaded her nostrils, immediately calming her frazzled nerves.

"What do you want?" Itachi's cold, stoic voice jolted Sakura.

"Leader-sama told me that I should get my cloak, ring and some other necessary things from you, Uchiha-san." she explained calmly.

"That means you have been accepted into the Akatsuki, am I correct?"

"Hai."

Itachi stood up, then said, "Follow me."

The two marched wordlessly, until they arrived at the common room, where they found Hidan sitting lazily on one of the chairs.

"Hidan." Itachi addressed, catching the attention of the white-haired man. "Have you seen Kakuzu?"

"No, I haven't seen that money-faced bastard anywhere. Hey, there's a hot bitch behind you! Is she your whore, or something…?" Hidan asked, earning a glare from Sakura.

"I am not a bitch, you asshole. And I'm not Itachi's whore, neither. I am a new member here, and I have a name. It's Sa-ku-ra." she scowled.

"Ignore his language, Haruno-san." Itachi requested.

"Suuure, _Sa-ku-ra_," Hidan purred seductively, making the pink-haired girl blush. "How fucking old are you, anyway?"

"I'm 17." she growled.

Hidan grinned maniacally, sending shivers down the rosette's spine.

"Come now, Sakura." The Uchiha said, leading the girl to a large room. On one side of it was a small desk, and a hunched figure sitting on a chair in front of it.

"Kakuzu."

The said person turned around, his light green eyes glowing eerily, looking cross.

"What is it, Uchiha?"

"I would like to know where the cloaks are located."

Kakuzu grunted, nodding his head towards a small closet. Itachi opened it then pulled out a small cloak, giving it to Sakura. She tried it on immediately, smiling when the garment fit snugly on her slim body. She caught a ring tossed at her, then looked at Itachi.

"You are to wear that on your left pinky, and you are not allowed to take that off, understood?"

Sakura nodded, doing as the Uchiha instructed. She was surprised when she felt a dull pain spread through her body, and her fingernails turned jet black.

"Don't worry," Itachi assured, as if reading her thoughts. "Those are just side effects of the jutsu in the ring. The pain will ebb away soon, and your fingernail colors are permanent."

She nodded, then thanked him for his help. She strolled along the base when she found her room, with her name engraved on the door.

The walls were painted a soft hue of pink, and her bed – a _queen-sized_ bed – was red in color and had a black metal frame. There was a small desk beside it, and a vase with Sakura branches decorated the table, along with a lamp with tainted glass. There was also a tall black closet on one side of the room, filled with brand new clothes and underwear. And Kami, that wasn't all – the bathroom was painted gold, and had a _huge_ bathtub. Back at her hide-out, she always slept on the couch, or if she was unlucky that Naruto beat her to it, she had to sleep on the cold, hard floor. The bathroom was also disappointing – she always had to fight Naruto on who gets to use it first – and Naruto almost always won. It also smelled like it hadn't been cleaned in ages, and was practically covered in mold.

Here at the Akatsuki base, she felt like she was in heaven.

She hurriedly entered the bathroom, taking her torn dress and underwear off then immersed herself on the warm water in the tub. The water soothed her worn muscles, sending Sakura to a state of bliss. She washed her lengthy hair with a strawberry-scented shampoo and cleaned her body thoroughly. Finally she rinsed herself and draped a towel around her naked body, heading to the closet. She chose a pink asymmetrical blouse and a baby blue pants, then pulled out a pair of black ballet flats. She fixed her hair into long curls, then pinned it back with a barrette. She looked at her reflection, and she thought she looked like a Barbie doll.

She exited the room and searched for Deidara and the food that he promised. She wandered around the base once more, and ended up in the kitchen, where she found a man with an orange mask and spiky brown hair preparing lunch. She approached him and said, "Hi there. I'm Sakura."

The man paused for a while and turned to the rosette. "Tobi's name is Tobi!" he chirped in a high, childish voice.

Sakura laughed, amused at Tobi's behavior. She looked down at what Tobi was chopping and asked, "What are you cooking?"

"Tobi is making stir-fry noodles," he replied, tossing the minced vegetables into a heated pan. The aroma made Sakura's mouth water. She bid Tobi goodbye and proceeded to the common room. She was relieved when she saw that Hidan was out of sight.

She laid down on one of the couches (there were three of them), she thought about Naruto and Sai.

"Don't worry guys," she mumbled as she drifted into a slumber, "even if this place is a paradise, I'd rather go back to the hell where I belong. After all, a thief never gives up."

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**Me: Whew. I'm kinda disappointed that she met only a few of the members, but I promise that she meet them all in the next chapter, especially since she'll have her first mission as an Akatsuki soon. [Oooh, spoiler! Sorry guys X3]**

**And before I forget, in my story Sai is the replacement of Sasuke. So it's like Sakura never met Sasuke at all, instead she grew up with Naruto and Sai. But I'm still thinking if Sasuke will appear in this story. What do you think?**

**And also, a big thank-you to the following who reviewed:**

**Black-Blue Moonlight Neko**

**Pendragon1**

**Reina Reina**

**DarkIkari8520**

**stringless-marionette  
**

**Once again, arigatou gozaimasu!!**

**See ya all later~!**

**~ .Akatsuki no Konan-sama. ~**


	3. Memories

**A Thief Captured**

**Me: Disclaimed, except for the plot.**

**I'd like to thank all the reviewers, and to show my appreciation and gratitude, I'm creating a review reply section where all reviewers get cookies!!**

**On with the story!

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Chapter 3: Memories

Sakura's POV

I opened my eyes, finding myself lying on a lavender bed, surrounded by white see-through curtains. I pushed away the blanket from my body and sat up. What I saw made me gasp.

I was in a large room, painted in peach, with a walk-in closet on the right side and a mahogany bookshelf beside it. Tons of stuffed plushies were placed under the windowsill on the left, and the all-too-familiar white bathroom door was across the bed.

This was my old bedroom, back when I was still a little girl.

I saw my bedroom door open, and a petite, pretty woman with pink hair, the same shade as mine, and blue eyes entered.

"Sakura? Are you awake?" she called.

"Mother?" I asked, bewildered. Why the hell was my mom here? And why am I in my old bedroom?

I did what I always do when I'm in a huge panic - I closed my eyes and breathed slowly, counting from 1 to 10. When I opened my eyes, my mom and my bedroom were still there.

"Sakura, honey, Naruto is downstairs looking for you. Do you want me to send him here?" she inquired, her calm voice soothing my nervous mind.

"No Mother, I'll go upstairs to meet him," I replied. I stood up from my bed and slipped into my bunny slippers. I proceeded downstairs where I found my father sipping his coffee while reading the paper, together with Naruto who was sitting across him, munching on a piece of bacon. I read the front page and searched frantically for the date.

I gasped. The date was 5 years ago!!!

"Sakura, are you alright?" my father questioned, worry shown on his viridian eyes. He must be troubled when he saw me standing there, my face pale as a sheet of paper and my eyes as big as donuts.

I nodded silently, my mouth still agape.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, your mom makes good bacon!! Can I have more?" Naruto asked me, oblivious of my situation. He's such an idiot.

Just as he finished his sentence my mom came downstairs with a smile on her peaceful face.

"Why thank you, Naruto-kun. It's nice to know that you appreciate my cooking. Of course you can have more!" Mother chuckled. "Or if you want, you can help yourself to some left-over ramen-"

Naruto immediately abandoned the bacon and rushed towards the refrigerator. After a while he came back to the table, holding a large bowl of ramen. He set it in front of him and pulled out a pair of chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu!!!"

I sighed, then grabbed a glass of orange juice. I sat down and started drinking until Mother said,

"Naruto would make a fine husband for you, won't he, Sakura?"

I spat out my orange juice, and Naruto choked on his ramen. We both glanced at my mom, a heavy blush covering our cheeks.

"Mother!" I whined.

Mother looked at us endearingly, while Father watched us, an amused smile on his face.

A stupid grin spread on Naruto's face. "We~ell, if that's what you think, Mrs. Haruno-"

I cut him short with a smack on the back of his head.

"Don't get any ideas…" I warned.

My parents just laughed.

"What's so funny, Mr. and Mrs. Haruno?" Sai asked, standing at the doorway.

"Sai-kun!!" I cried, hugging the dark-haired boy. I glanced secretly at Naruto, who was green with envy.

"Well Sai, Mrs. Haruno was just telling me that I would make a nice partner for Saku-chan," he gloated, earning a glare from Sai. Sai hugged me back, then stuck his tongue out at Naruto.

I smirked. It's _so_ nice to have my boys fighting over me.

"Sakura-chan, Naruto-kun, Suichi-sensei wants us near the lake in five minutes. He said he'll teach us how to walk on water!" Sai announced.

"Alright! Another week, another jutsu to master. Suichi-sensei is so cool!" Naruto exclaimed, finishing his ramen.

**[I don't know if walking on water is considered as a jutsu… oh well.]**

"Wait for me, guys, I'll just go change," I called.

I opened my closet and got my ninja uniform – a pink Chinese-style dress and black leggings. I strapped my weapon pouch on my left thigh and ran downstairs.

"Bye kids! Be careful with your training!" Mother called after us as we rushed outside, eager to meet our sensei.

When we arrived at the lake I saw our sensei crouched, his back turned on us, and he looked like he was talking to someone.

"Sensei?" Naruto called.

Suichi-sensei turned around, then smiled at us. "Seems you guys are early today. Guess who's here," he said.

A couple of brown pigtailed heads peeked from behind our sensei.

"Sayuki! Sayuri!" I shouted, and the twins immediately rushed to hug me.

"Sakura-nee-chan!!" they exclaimed. "Naruto-kun and Sai-kun are here too!"

I laughed. "Now what brings you girls to our training today?"

"We want to watch you do a new trick!!!!"

"Trick?" Sai echoed, glancing at Suichi. He just shrugged.

"Mrs. Kagurezaki asked you to baby-sit the twins again, didn't she?" Naruto asked.

"Well, they're adorable, plus they behave real well, so it's a treat to take care of them," Suichi's dark brown eyes twinkled. "Okay, we'll start the lesson now. After all, we haven't got all day, have we?"

After the twins have settled at a huge stone near the lakeside, Suichi-sensei started teaching us the basics of water-walking.

"Okay, you three," he started, "first you focus your chakra to your feet, then start walking slowly at the shallow end of the lake. Just relax, breathe slowly, then walk."

Since I have perfect chakra control, which I inherited from my medic parents, I completed the task quickly. I ran on the lake, waving to the kids as I passed by them.

Sai was having trouble with the chakra part, but managed to take a few steps before sinking. Naruto wasn't making any progress at all. His problem was either he was too excited to relax or he was pushing too much chakra to his feet.

Suichi-sensei sighed deeply. "This is going to be a long lesson," he said. He watched me prance around on the lake and smiled. "Sakura, that was impressive. You may take a rest, if you want."

I nodded, then I sat under a tree beside the twins.

"Wow nee-chan! How did you do that?" Sayuri asked, her eyes wide with amazement.

Sayuki, the more timid and refined of the two, simply replied, "Maybe she used her magic."

I laughed, then motioned for the five-year-olds to sit beside me. They snuggled beside me, one twin on each side. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, the smell of daffodils and a few random flowers pacifying my mind, before I drifted off to a nap.

**†****†****†****†****†**

I woke up once again, but I wasn't under a tree, nor was I at the lakeside. I was sitting on a hard, wooden chair beside my mother's bed. I gazed at my mother – she looked very sick, with her hollow cheekbones and sunken eyes. She coughed out blood, and at once I remembered this scene – I was 14 years old at that time, and my mother was suffering from a severe illness.

I got up and walked outside, but I paused when I reached the doorway.

"Father? Father, are you there?" I called out. The sound of silence was the only thing I heard, aside from Mother's strained coughing.

"Mother," I asked, not taking my eyes off the living room ahead, "how come Father isn't around?"

Mother wheezed once more, then replied with a hoarse voice, "Sakura, darling, I hate to say this but your Father's dead."

I stood there silently, a blank look covering my face, but deep inside my heart was crushed.

"He was assassinated by a person still unidentified. His body was nowhere to be found," she explained gently.

I returned to the bedside, clutching my mother's hand as warm tears cascaded down my cheeks.

"Mother, I'll call the doctor at once. He'll know what to do." I stood up to leave, but my mother's bony hand gripped my wrist.

"No, Sakura. It's no use. Sit down, don't leave." she pleaded, sorrow evident in her azure eyes and calm voice.

"I had this sickness when I was a child. It was awful; it kept me weak and bedridden for days. But when I grew up the disease disappeared miraculously. I never thought it would come back again," she ended her sentence with another cough, and again it was blood.

My tears never stopped flowing, and it seemed like time froze. Suddenly Mother spoke,

"Sakura, it seems like my time is almost up. I have entrusted all our belongings to my brother, and he will be the one who will take care of you as well. Even though you were never at your father's side when he died, I am very happy that I will leave this world without regret, because you are here by my side.

"We love you, Sakura; remember that always." And with that she closed her eyes, never to open them again.

I wept silently, for I was never the person to wail out loud. I kissed her forehead and laid by her side, falling into a slumber filled with great mourning.

**†****†****†****†****†**

"Hey kid, get up." A deep, manly voice said, nudging me to get up. I opened my eyes to see my mother's older brother staring at me.

"Pack up your things and leave," he gruffly said, pushing me off the bed.

I fell with a thud. Rubbing my backside I asked, "What do you mean, 'Pack up your things and leave'? This is my house. I have every right to stay here."

"Not anymore," he replied, holding up the house's deed.

And that was how I found myself knocking on my sensei's door at the middle of the night, carrying all my clothes and some of my mother's money.

The door opened, revealing my sensei on his pajamas, rubbing his eyes as he yawned. "Sakura-chan?"

"Sorry to wake you up, Suichi-sensei. But you see, I've got nowhere else to go," I explained, looking down at the ground, my head bowed down in shame.

"Did you run away?" he asked, eyeing my large bag full of clothes and my other belongings.

"No, sir. I was kicked out of my house after my parents died."

"Well, what are you waiting for? It's freezing out there. Grab your bag and come in," he said, opening the door.

For the next few weeks I lived at Suichi-sensei's abode. He treated me like his own daughter, and in return I trained very hard to make him proud.

When Naruto and Sai heard the news they comforted me, and became over-protective. They always stayed at my side when we're outside.

Two years have passed. Naruto, Sai and i were walking along the streets of Konoha when we met my uncle, who was with a woman who looked very much like a whore. He stared at me unbelievably, like he was expecting me to be dead or something.

"Take a picture, mister, it'll last longer," I hissed, venom lacing my every word.

"Who's that, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, he's that bastard who kicked me out of my own house, after my parents died," I explained nonchalantly. My uncle glared at me ferociously, like he wanted to strangle me.

"Come on guys, we've got better things to do than to acquaint ourselves with that lowlife," I said, brushing past him.

When I got back home I saw a note at the living room table that read,

"_Meet me at the forest outside Konoha._

_- Suichi-sensei"_

I rushed outside, eager to meet my sensei. However, when I arrived at the meeting place, I found my sensei tied up and gagged, and a red-haired shinobi was guarding him.

"Well, look who came," he said, smirking.

"Let go of my sensei!!" I screamed, putting on my battle stance.

"This sensei of yours is a wanted robber in every village. He has 2 million ryo on his head right now. Originally from Kirigakure, he committed several cases of murder and robbery," the shinobi explained, holding up a page on the Bingo Book, featuring none other than Suichi-sensei himself.

"Is that true, Sensei?" I asked, tears threatening to fall from my eyes.

"It's true, Sakura. But believe me, I've changed!" he replied.

"Once a robber, always a robber," the shinobi said. "He embezzled a large amount of money from the Konoha treasury."

"I don't believe you! Let him go!!!" I yelled, sobbing.

But the shinobi ignored me, and slit Suichi-sensei's throat in front of me. He disappeared afterwards, together with my former-sensei's corpse.

I fell on my knees, clutching my face, crying my heart out.

"I swear, Suichi-sensei, I'll have revenge on your death soon."

**†****†****†****†****†**

"Sakura!"

I woke up, and saw that I was lying on the couch, my face wet with tears.

"Sakura! Are you okay, yeah?" Deidara was sitting in front of me, his face scrunched up with worry.

"Deidara!" I cried, sobbing on his chest.

He patted my back and comforted me. When I calmed down he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Bad dream."

* * *

**Me: There. Another chapter done. I hope I haven't kept you guys waiting.**

**Oh, and as you guys have noticed some of the characters here are very OOC (like Sai.) For the sake of the story I intend to keep them that way, so please bear with me.**

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**Yuti-chan and Love-SakuraxAkatsuki – Here it is! I updated it for you guys. Thanks for the review! [hands a cookie]**

**Black-blue Moonlight Neko – Yeah… Sometimes I wish I was Sakura. And I just based her bedroom on mine (bathroom not included). [hands a cookie]**

**Pendragon1- You're welcome!! And thanks. [hands a cookie]**

**lunamirrior – I hope this chapter answered some of your questions. As for the other characters, I think I'll be able to put them in the later chapters. And Tsunade is the current Hokage – the Godaime – in the story. Thanks for your precise review, I deeply appreciated it. [hands a cookie]**

**Miou Misaki No Akatsuki Hime – Hajimemashite Misaki-san! I'm not used to Sakura being the antagonist either - -' but it keeps the story interesting, doesn't it? Thanks for the review!! [hands a cookie]**


	4. Say What? Sakura's First Mission!

**A Thief Captured**

**Me: Disclaimed.**

**I am apologizing for taking too long to update. I was supposed to have posted this chapter up on Tuesday but because I had a couple more projects that needed urgent attention, I was forced to postpone the update. I hope this extremely long chapter will make up for my loss of punctuality. **

**This chapter is dedicated to all those who reviewed this story and to those who added this fanfic to their Favorite Story/Story Alert list. And to those who added me as their Favorite Author/Author Alert. Seriously, I love you guys. I'll post your names next time. **

Chapter Four: Say What?! Sakura's First Mission!

Third Person POV

Deidara helped Sakura up as she wiped her tears dry. "Come on, lunch is served," he said, leading the pinkette as they marched to the dining room.

She entered the dining room then took an available seat, which was beside Kisame. She sat silently, then looked up to the shark-like man.

He grinned then said, "You know, I was the one you kicked the night before."

Sakura was surprised. She muttered an apology and healed the large bruise on his jaw.

"Oh, you didn't need to do that. It didn't hurt that much. But for a girl, I'd say you pack quite a punch – or a kick, that is. …Hmm, your eyes seem red and puffy. Have you been crying?"

Sakura shook her head and waited for Tobi to serve the meal. The truth was she was quite intimidated with the blue man's appearance and size, so she kept silent.

A moment later Tobi came from the kitchen, holding a large pan. He set the pan in the middle of the table then sat down next to Deidara.

She picked up her chopsticks, then looked at Leader-sama.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Introducing our new member, Sakura Haruno. She is an expert on taijutsu and medicine. I hope that each of you will treat her properly – that means no harassing, Hidan – and equally. Is there anything else you wish to add, Sakura-san?" Leader pronounced.

"It is very nice to meet you all," she voiced, but sent a vicious glare to a certain redhead. The others grunted and nodded in agreement.

They all said "Itadakimasu" and ate in silence.

**After Lunch**

"Sakura," Leader-sama called, standing up from his seat, "after eating I want you to proceed to my office. Is that understood?"

"Hai."

Leader-sama left wordlessly.

Sakura knocked on the office door thrice, before Leader-sama said, "Enter."

She stepped inside the room and sat down on a nearby wooden chair, waiting for the orange-haired man to speak.

"Sakura-san. We will discuss your first mission as an Akatsuki."

Sakura nodded in response.

"You, together with Itachi and Deidara, will be going to Kumogakure to do a seduction mission." **[Kumogakure = Cloud Village]**

Wood fragments flew across the room as Sakura shattered both arms of the poor chair; one splinter would've hit Pein right on the forehead if he didn't duck in time.

"WHAAAAAAT?!" she screeched.

**Meanwhile**

"Whoa, what the fuck was that?" Hidan asked, startled by the sudden noise.

"Probably a large stupid bird or something. Now pay up, you lost," Kakuzu replied, putting down a handful of cards. Hidan slammed his on the table and scowled.

**Back to Sakura and Pein**

"You're sending me on a _seduction mission_?! Are you fucking **insane**?!" Sakura yelled.

Leader-sama was slightly stunned by the rosette's outburst. He shook his head and glared at Sakura. "Are you saying that you're refusing the mission?"

Leader-sama's heated stare sent shivers down the cherry blossom's spine, so she meekly bowed her head and said, "No."

"You are to seduce a man named Akiko Yugami. He has knowledge of Orochimaru's hideout and obtained a few of the forbidden scrolls. I want him alive, so you need to rely on Itachi's Sharingan to finish the job. Deidara will take care of the transportation. I expect you to return 2 days from now. You will leave tonight. Dismissed."

Sakura's shoulders slumped as she walked out the door. She was still dazed because of the turn of events.

_Why me?!_ She groaned inside. _Why didn't she send Konan-san for this? I don't even know what to do in a seduction mission!!_

**_You should've pointed that out to Leader-sama a while ago,_** a familiar voice replied inside her head.

_Inner?!_ Sakura asked, bewildered. _I haven't seen you for so long! Where've you been?!_

**_I was on vacation, hun,_**Inner answered. **_Now don't worry about the mission, I'm sure you'll finish it in no time. After all, you're a natural when it comes to those things, right?_**

Sakura's eye twitched at this. _Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?_ She growled.

**_Both,_** Inner said, laughing.

_How nice, coming from someone who hasn't even had her first kiss yet,_ Sakura countered.

**_Hey, we're like two sides of a coin. So basically, whatever you say to me applies to you as well,_** Inner mentioned.

_Whatever, Inner. You're such a baby, _Sakura dismissed.

Sakura continued to march around the base until she reached Itachi's bedroom. She haven't even tapped the door when Itachi's voice said, "Come in, Sakura."

She proceeded inside quietly and shut the door behind her. "Leader-sama has a mission for us, together with Deidara" Sakura informed.

"Elaborate."

"We will be traveling to Kumogakure tonight to seek a man named Akiko Yugami. I have to seduce him and you take care of the rest with your Sharingan. We'll return after a couple of days. Leader wants him alive," she explained.

A moment of silence passed between the two. "I understand." Itachi finally said.

The rosette nodded then left. She went to the bomber's room then knocked. After a minute of no response Sakura turned the doorknob and stepped in silently.

"Deidara?" she called. She got no reply.

She continued further until she heard a small shuffle coming from the right. She snapped her head towards the noise and found Deidara, his back turned away from her. He appeared to be working on a large clay sculpture of a cherry blossom tree.

Sakura approached him and said, "It's so pretty, Deidara-san."

Deidara jumped a little, forming a little dent on the artwork. He turned around to see Sakura, then grimaced a little.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to surprise you," she apprehensively apologized.

Deidara's frown turned into a smile. He chuckled then fixed the error. "It's okay, yeah. What's the matter, Sakura, hm?"

"Leader has a mission for us. He wants us to go to Kumogakure to find someone named Akiko Yugami. Leader said we should leave tonight," Sakura clarified.

"Hm, okay. So Leader also said we'll be using my clay birds for transportation, right, hm?" Deidara asked.

"Yeah."

"Well then," Deidara stated, getting up, "in that case we should pack up our things, yeah."

Sakura responded with a nod and left the artist wordlessly. She went to her room at once and packed her basic necessities and some clothes.

She rummaged through her closet and found a short black kimono with a bloody red obi tied up at the waist. It had a cherry blossom pattern at the bottom that complimented the outfit perfectly. She also spotted a pair of slippers and a red hairpiece shaped like petals.

**_Now _this_ is perfect for a seduction mission,_** Inner quipped.

_You said it, _replied Sakura.

She put the said items on a different bag and headed out to the doorway.

ღ×ღ×ღ

Sasori's POV

"Ice cream… Here it is."

I put down the bowl of dessert on the table and sat down. I was indulging myself at strawberry ice cream heaven when I noticed a certain rosette sitting across me, completely oblivious of my presence. She had a blissful expression on her perfectly sculpted face, and a spoon sticking out of her mouth as well.

"How's the vanilla ice cream?" I asked.

Her eyes shot open then searched for the source of the voice. My russet hues met her emerald ones, and at once her smile turned into a scowl.

"What are you doing here?" she spat crossly.

"What, can't a guy enjoy his ice cream in peace?" I retorted.

"No, not in my presence you can't," she growled.

In a flash I was in front of her. I tilted her face towards mine and asked, "Do you mind saying that again?"

She swatted my hand away and hissed, "Get your filthy hands off me, murderer."

"Murderer?" I mused. "You think you're so innocent, thief?"

"At least I don't go killing someone's sensei for no reason!!" she exploded.

_Oh,_ I thought. _So that's what this is all about._

"You can't blame me for doing that, kunoichi," I calmly replied. "I was doing my job as a peacekeeper. I am allowed to kill anyone, if necessary."

"That just proves that you're selfish!"

"Aren't thieves more selfish?" I retaliated. "After all, they take what's not theirs for their own interests, don't they?"

I was slapped in the face in response.

"Do you think I wanted to be a robber in the first place, you asshole?" she cried, tears streaming down her face. "I haven't got any choice! My parents were dead and my sensei was the only one I could depend on! But you Akatsuki jerks just had to slaughter him, and right in front of me, at that! You practically took Suichi-sensei away from me! Shouldn't _you_ be the one called a thief?!"

I stood silent, not knowing what to say next. I know I shouldn't regret what I've done; I was only doing my duty after all! But why does this odd feeling bubble up inside me, urging me to apologize to the weeping woman in front of me? Is this what they call… _guilt_?

"Sakura?" a voice called from the hallway.

Itachi entered the kitchen, clutching a small bag. When he saw the rosette he immediately rushed over to her.

"What did you do, Sasori?" he demanded calmly, sending a hard glare at my direction.

"She is having an emotional breakdown. If you don't mind, you could accompany her back to her room."

"That is not necessary. We are leaving immediately," he informed. He helped the girl up and left.

I sighed, then cleared the table.

ღ×ღ×ღ

Sakura's POV

"Can you explain why you were crying, Haruno-san?" Itachi asked me.

"It's nothing, Uchiha-sama. Sasori and I were just having an argument. You don't need to worry." I assured him.

"I see," he said. He wiped my remaining tears and accompanied me to my room.

"You have packed up your things, correct?"

"Hai."

"Then come on," he urged, carrying my slightly heavy bag. "I am sure Deidara is waiting."

"Thank you, Uchiha-sama." I said.

"Hn."

I like him… He's like a brother I never had. No wait; I shouldn't get attached to any of these men! Sakura, get a grip of yourself!

I shook my head and got rid of those thoughts, and instead followed Itachi down the hall, towards Deidara's room.

Deidara's POV

"Deidara?" A small voice rang outside my door.

"I'm coming, yeah." I grabbed my duffel bag and stepped out the door, locking it. "Should we go, hm?"

"Affirmative. Leader-sama will be displeased if we tarry any longer." Itachi replied.

"This mission's gonna be a blast!" I exclaimed.

Sakura giggled, rolling her eyes. I swear, she looks so hot when she gets sassy like that.

**A few minutes later**

"Sakura-san, what is your plan for completing this mission?" Itachi asked.

"Well, I'll have to entertain the target for a few moments. Then when he drops his guard I'll just pull out Jigoku and then call Itachi for his Sharingan. That's that."

"Jigoku? Who's Jigoku?" I inquired.

"Well, you see, I can summon three small snakes. Those snakes are Chizu, Jigoku and Cross. For this mission I'll be using Jigoku. Jigoku's specialty is paralysis; just one bite can send an enzyme which immobilizes the victim's muscular system, disabling him to move a single ligament. The second one is Chizu; she's a vampire snake. Just because she's non-poisonous it doesn't mean she's not deadly. She can drink up to 6 liters of blood from the victim, and I know as a medic no human can survive that. The last one is Cross; he's the most dangerous of my snakes. A single drop of his venom can kill a person within minutes. That's why I don't summon him often, except when really necessary. Does that answer your question?" Sakura explained.

I nodded, my mouth still agape. _Very interesting,_ I thought_. I didn't think this girl could bear that skill, yeah. Even Itachi seems impressed with her._

5 hours have passed and we were still halfway through our destination. I was guessing it was around 11 pm.

"Let's take a rest, can we?" Sakura suggested, ending her sentence with a yawn. I agreed, and so did Itachi. We landed on a secluded forest. Itachi started putting paper seals on the nearby trees while Sakura produced three sleeping bags. I decided to make use of myself so I prepared a small campfire.

A small shuffle echoed throughout the woods. I stood up, clutching a kunai, readying myself for an attack. Itachi, who wasn't done with the seals, did the same. Sakura stealthily walked around, making sure not to make noise. A kunai flies from her hand into the deepest shadows of the forest. There was no sound of it hitting anything, signaling that it had been caught.

"Come out. We know you're there." She commanded.

A shinobi stepped out, casually dangling the kunai around his finger. Smirking he said, "So I finally meet one of the greatest thieves of all time – Sakura Haruno. You know princess, you've got a huge amount of money on your head right now – around 5 or 6 million ryo, I guess. That's a lot more than Suichi Hiragane, isn't it?"

"So what do you want me to do, surrender?" She snarled upon hearing the name of her beloved teacher.

"Exactly."

"You think I'll actually do that, you piece of shit? You've picked the wrong blossom to mess with." Upon finishing her sentence she disappeared, only to reappear right behind the enemy. She placed her hands on his shoulder, then hoisted herself up and flipped towards the other side, twisting his head in the process. Blood spurted out of his veins as his head detached from his body, landing lifelessly on the ground.

She chuckled, a glint of anger and pride evident in her eyes. "I usually hate getting blood on my hands especially when I'm about to sleep, but this is an exception. Boys, just sit back and watch."

The rest of the bounty hunters charged at her. She dodged, kicked, punched, flipped, and struck with grace as she finished them all within a few minutes. Every impact created an ephemeral impression – kinda like art, actually.

_I really like this girl,_ I said to myself.

After the last of them was killed and disposed of, she sat down across me and wiped her brow.

"You okay, yeah?" I asked, tossing her a bottle of water.

She caught it effortlessly and drank until the last drop. She grinned and replied, "Thanks. Yeah, I'm fine… But you gotta admit, that left me exhausted."

Something about this girl made me experience this weird feeling – the butterflies on my stomach, the rapid heartbeat, the blush on my cheeks. Could this be _infatuation_?

I nodded then turned towards my sleeping bag. "You going to sleep, hm?"

"Hell yeah!"

I found myself watching her sleep the whole night.

ღ×ღ×ღ

**[Time skip = The next evening]**

Third Person POV

Sakura, Itachi and Deidara had gone to an inn at East Kumogakure, where the target was supposedly staying. As the boys readied their weapons in their room, Sakura was busy changing in the next room. She arranged her hair carefully, pulling it up with the petal-shaped hairpiece. The she got into her kimono, tying the obi loosely so the kimono showed a slightly large amount of cleavage. She cautiously placed Jigoku beneath the obi, making sure he won't fall out. Then she slipped on her sandals and put a little amount of make-up on her doll-like face.

**_You look just hot, you damn bitch! _**Inner squealed.

_Thanks,_ Sakura replied.

After dressing up she knocked on the boys' door. Itachi opened it, his eyes widening a little when he saw the rosette. Deidara, on the other hand, was drooling.

"Deidara you pervert, stop staring at my chest! Itachi, you guys ready?" Sakura asked, covering her chest with a hand to keep Deidara from peeking.

"Did Leader assign you to a… seduction mission?" Itachi questioned while trying to keep a straight face.

"Yes, he did. And to tell the truth I have no experience on that field. I personally think I look like a whore like now." Sakura giggled when she saw the small blush on Itachi's cheeks.

And so the trio proceeded to the bar next door.

ღ×ღ×ღ

"Ano… This is my first day working here at the bar… My boss said that you'll show me around…will you?" Sakura purred to the pimp who was blushing madly.

"Aa, yes, yes… and your name is…?" The pimp stuttered, grabbing his pen with shaky hands as Sakura drew circles on his chest.

"Hiromi Wakashima." Sakura drawled out.

"R-right. Hiromi…" The pimp stammered, "This will be your first customer, Mr. Akiko Yugami. He's a regular here. Akiko-san, your angel for the night will be Hiromi-chan."

Sakura stared wide-eyed at the customer. She suddenly felt sick to her guts, but kept her calm.

**_Holy shit, it's him!_** Inner cursed.

"Pleased to meet you, Akiko-kun. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go to the bathroom for a while," she announced.

"I'll be waiting, my kitten," Akiko slurred incomprehensibly as he staggered to steady himself, obviously under the influence of alcohol.

Sakura rushed towards the ladies room, where she escaped through a small window. She located her comrades who were waiting outside.

"What's the matter, Sakura-chan?" Deidara worried.

"I _cannot_ complete this mission." Sakura firmly stated, a frown crossing her lips.

"Why not? Is something preventing you, Haruno-san?" Itachi demanded, his brows furrowing with apprehension.

"Akiko Yugami," she paused, taking a deep breath before she spoke, "is my goddamned _uncle._"

ღ×ღ×ღ

**Me: Ooh, cliffy! Sorry guys. **

**Oh! And I am having a serious case of writer's block, so if you guys are willing to give me an idea for the later chapters it would be greatly appreciated.**

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**Miou Misaki No Akatsuki Hime – Thanks! [hands a cookie]  
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**xXBlueDazeXx- Yeah. ^^ ****[hands a cookie]**

**Me-Love-SakuraxAkatsuki- Here's my update! ****[hands a cookie]**

**Black-Blue Moonlight Neko - Yeah, Sakura had to go through many difficult problems. But she coped with them, though. ****[hands a cookie]**

**Pendragon1 - Don't worry, here's plenty more of cookies! And thanks for pointing that out. ****[hands a cookie]**

**Don't forget to review, please! ^^  
**


	5. I Know I Shouldn't So I Won't

**A Thief Captured**

**Me: Ugh. Do I even need to say it? –ω–"**

Chapter Five: I Shouldn't So I Won't, But I Can So I Might

Sakura's POV

"He is?! But you should've known before, he's your uncle after all, hm!" Deidara exclaimed.

"But I didn't get the chance to learn his name! After all, he just kicked me out of my own house without even asking my name!" I countered.

"Haruno-san, you have to complete this mission tonight. We are leaving at dawn," Itachi mentioned.

"I know, Uchiha-sama. But it's kinda hard to do that kind of mission when you have a grudge on a person," I grumbled.

"Haruno. You will not fail this mission." Itachi's strict voice reminded me that I don't have a choice. I sighed deeply, then asked Deidara to lift me up back to the window.

"Well," I said once I got back inside, "I just hope I won't kill that bastard."

I sighed once more then rearranged my outfit and my hair. I walked back to the bar, acting like nothing happened at all.

"Oh, Hiromi-chan!" The manager called, waving his hand to get my attention. "Yugami-san has left. You can find him at Room 16."

"Oh, sure," I mumbled absent-mindedly. Inside I was having a major panic attack.

_**Oh crap! We're going to die!!!**_Inner screamed.

_We can do this, Inner. We can't let our teammates down,_ I replied.

_**Sigh. Whatever you say. I'm just saying I'm dying of humiliation right now!!!**_ Inner wailed.

I rolled my eyes, then proceeded to the room dreadfully. I turned the doorknob, revealing a very drunk Akiko, sprawled out on the bed. **[In this bar** **people can rent special rooms at the back of the building for a night. You probably know what I mean.] **I crawled onto the bed beside him and started purring some naughty things in his ear.

_I _cannot_ believe I am doing this. Horny bastard,_ I huffed.

_**I don't, either! Kill me now!!!**_ Inner yelped.

I was cut short on our conversation when the horndog asked, "Ya know kitten, you look very familiar to me. Are you sure we haven't met before…?"

He started groping my thigh before I could even respond. "No," I answered, shuddering in disgust, "this is the first time I've met a fine man like you." No sooner have I finished my sentence he gripped my chin and faced me to him. He pulled my face closer until our lips were just inches apart. I could smell the alcohol reeking from his breath, which made me want to puke.

_I cannot take this any longer! I am definitely _not_ losing my first kiss to this asshole! _I cried.

_**Then do it! NOW!**_ Inner demanded.

I nodded, pulling out Jigoku swiftly. He immediately bit the bastard, and the venom quickly took effect. Akiko froze, unable to move a single muscle.

"What… the… hell…" he managed to whisper.

"This is just payback, dear uncle," I smirked, reaching for my two-way radio hidden beneath my kimono. "Itachi, you can come out now."

ღ×ღ×ღ

We were traveling back to Amegakure **[Rain Village] **where the base was located. Itachi had slung Akiko on his shoulder, whereas Deidara started interrogating me.

"Nice job, Sakura-chan," he grinned, flashing his charming, boyish smile. "Did you two do anything… inappropriate?"

"N-no, of course not!" I sputtered repulsively. "I am proud to say that I haven't lost my first kiss to anyone yet!"

A strange glint appeared in the blonde's eyes. "You… haven't?" he asked, grinning madly.

"No."

All of a sudden Deidara appeared before me, tilting my face to his. "It would be an honor to take your first kiss, my blossom."

I frowned. "Get off me, you sick pervert!" I screamed, pushing him away. I realized I was blushing madly, causing him to smirk. I tightened my obi to cover my chest completely, to which Deidara groaned with dismay.

"Deidara, I suggest not to torment the medic," Itachi warned. "I hear she has a very nasty temper. She could be deadly if provoked."

"Pssh. Yeah, he's pretty much right about that. The last time I almost got raped, the poor bastard got castrated."

Deidara froze. He slowly backed away from me, his eyes wider than plates.

We arrived at Amegakure in dead silence just as the sun rose..

ღ×ღ×ღ

"Hey, we're home!"

I dropped my bags down beside the door, rushing into Konan's arms. For some reason Konan had become my best friend here in the Akatsuki. Probably because she's the only one who isn't an idiot. (Well, save Itachi-sama, of course.)

Konan happily returned the gesture. She smiled down at me and asked, "Welcome home, Sakura-chan. How's the mission?"

"It was fine, Konan-chan. Well, except for the fact that the target was my uncle," I said, wincing as I told the last part.

"Hey, don't I get a fucking hug too?" Hidan emerged from the kitchen, carrying his bloody scythe. I could deduce that he had just done another sacrifice.

"You wish. Go take a bath first," I retorted.

"We could take one together, you know," he proposed, wiggling his eyebrows seductively.

I rolled my eyes, again. How many times have I done that for the past few days? "Ugh. You're as awful as Deidara, I swear," I grumbled, removing my hairpiece which was starting to get loose.

"Oh come on bitch, I can't be _that_ bad. At least I'm not fucking gay like Barbie over there," he replied, earning a yell from a very pissed Deidara.

I sighed tiredly, exhausted from the mission. I left the bickering pair in the hallway and waved to Konan. I proceeded to the kitchen to reward myself with a hard-earned bowl of vanilla ice cream.

I sat down at one end of the table and left towards Vanilla Land. That is, until I noticed Sasori sitting across me, boring his eyes onto mine. I stared back, too tired to argue. A moment of awkward silence passed, but ended when Jigoku flailed from under my obi, probably hungry and suffocated.

I took out my snake and put him beside the bowl, assured that he'll behave well. Sasori jerked a little, obviously alarmed with the reptile's presence.

"Don't worry, he won't bite unless I tell him to," I declared, patting Jigoku's head softly. Sasori nodded, then calmed down.

"You want ice cream, Jigoku?" I asked. I received a low hiss, wagging his tail like a dog.

"Then you'll have to share it with the others." First I got out two summoning scrolls. I bit my thumb then drew two long vertical lines on each scroll with my blood. I formed a circle on the center of the first line and a short horizontal line on the other. The two other snakes appeared in a cloud of smoke.

They started lapping on the dessert, their red tongues flicking in and out. I watched them fondly like I was their mother.

"Your snakes," Sasori called, "do they have names? Aside from Jigoku?"

"Yeah," I replied, not taking my eyes off the animals. "The black one with red stripes is Chizu, and the dark blue one with the black tail is Cross. And as you see, I treat them all like my children. Oh, they've finished their ice cream already!"

I put away the ice cream bowl and returned the three snakes back to their scrolls. I laid my head on the table for a while, staring at Sasori. His chocolate eyes seemed to hypnotize me, his blood red hair made him look… handsome.

_**No, Sakura. You can't,**_ Inner advised me.

_Don't worry. I won't._ I reassured her.

**Don't establish a deep bond with any of the members.**

"Sakura-san."

"Hm?"

"About your sensei… Are you still mad at me?"

"As much as I'd like to kick your ass right now, I won't. First, because I'm tired like hell and want to go to sleep very badly, and second, it won't do me any good if I seek revenge by killing you. After all, what's done in the past can't be changed, ne?" I pronounced, blurry-eyed from sleepiness.

"That's good to hear, I guess. And Sakura?"

"Yes?" I took the effort of lifting my head to face him once more.

"You've been assigned to a seduction mission, right?"

"Uh-huh." And with that I closed my eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

ღ×ღ×ღ

Sasori's POV

That troublesome girl. She bumped her head softly on the table upon concluding her sentence, the sound of light snoring signalling she'd fallen asleep. I stood up and lifted her on my shoulders, making her shift a little. I froze, afraid of rousing her because she might think I was doing something indecent to her. Instead I heard her mumble a soft "Thank you."

"You're heavy," I replied, carrying her towards her room. I felt her smirk in response. She rested her chin on top of my head and continued snoring along the way.

I reached her room without running into one of the members – to which I was thankful for, otherwise they would've yelled their heads off, screaming something along the lines of "You're trying to fucking rape Sakura, aren't you, you horny retard!" I laid her down on her bed carefully to avoid waking her up. I watched her peaceful sleeping form; the rise and fall of her rather large chest in rhythm with her even, deep breath. I pushed away some of her strawberry locks from her face, revealing a serene expression on her angelic features. As I stroked her hair gently my eyes fell on a small unframed picture lying on Sakura's desk, next to her tainted glass lamp.

It was a picture of her old team when she was still younger. She was in-between the Kyuubi and another member of her team with dark hair and a pale complexion, and their sensei was behind them, ruffling the boys' hair. The pale one had his arm draped over Sakura's shoulder, resulting to the fierce glare the blonde boy sent to him. Sakura, however, seemed completely unaware of the situation, and grinned happily. Suichi flashed a nervous grin. The caption read "Me with my team – Suichi Kudouri, Naruto Uzumaki and Sai." Underneath the photograph was a small piece of paper that had the words "Missing them both – Naruto and Sai. And I'll never forget Suichi-sensei." written on it using pink ink.

I returned my gaze to Sakura, who was still sound asleep. I watched her for a while until I had the urge to kiss her badly, and did nothing to stifle it. I landed a chaste peck on her full, rosy lips and headed towards the door.

"Oyasumi, Sakura-chan."

ღ×ღ×ღ

Third Person POV

Sakura twisted and turned in her sleep. She groaned, lifting her chest slightly. Panting she whipped her head left to right, giggling as she shifted.

"Sakura…"

"Jigoku… stop, I can't take it anymore… Cross, not there…" she mumbled.

"Sakura…"

"Cross… you can talk…" Sakura shot her eyes open after she said the last part. "Wait a minute, snakes can't talk!"

"Sakura-chan, get up." A slightly high-pitched voice beckoned.

Sakura rubbed her eyes which were still hazy from sleep. She blinked once, twice…

And realized that Tobi was on top of her, his hands placed on either side of her face.

"Good afternoon, Sakura-chan! Did you have a good sleep?" Tobi inquired energetically.

Sakura twitched in anger. She pushed the masked shinobi away and off the bed.

"Oww, Sakura-chan…" he whined, rubbing his backside as he spoke. "Tobi just wanted to wake up Sakura-chan for lunch."

"I'm sorry, Tobi-kun, but you shouldn't have sneaked here while I'm asleep!" she berated, a blush dusting her cheeks.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan. Tobi didn't mean to scare you." Tobi apologized, scratching the back of his head.

She giggled, extending a hand to help Tobi up. Tobi offered his arm to her, and Sakura happily accepted.

The pair strolled to the kitchen happily, singing a tune as they walked. They looked like two people you would find in a lame kiddie program.

As the Akatsuki sat down to eat okonomiyaki and takoyaki (courtesy of Konan and Kisame), Tobi asked loud enough for everyone to hear, "Tobi wants to know what Sakura was dreaming about earlier. She was writhing in her sleep, and was moaning very loudly."

Sakura felt all eyes on her, and she had this uncontrollable desire to strangle Tobi for opening his big, goddamned mouth.

"It was probably about me; I knew Sakura couldn't resist my charm!" Hidan winked at her.

"Ew. That wouldn't happen in a million years, Hidan. For your information my dream was about my snakes," Sakura corrected, a small growl escaping her pretty lips.

"Snakes…?" Konan repeated.

"Yes, snakes, I can summon snakes. I have three – Jigoku, Chizu, and Cross. I'll show them to you next time." she explained.

"Then why were you twisting on your bed?" Kisame asked, quite puzzled.

"They were _tickling_ me, you bumbling idiots! Ugh, I give up. You guys really are jerks, excluding Konan, Leader, and Itachi." She huffed, completely irritated and humiliated.

"Hey, you're playing favourites, yeah!" Deidara complained.

"Well, at least they're not annoying like you!" she retorted.

She gobbled down the last of her food and stomped out the kitchen, banging her plate down the sink. She marched towards her room and slammed the door shut.

"Okay, who's gonna apologize to her?" Kisame inquired.

ღ×ღ×ღ

Sakura sat down on her desk, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen.

"_Dear Naruto and Sai,_

_Uggghhh. A week has passed since I've been here in the Akatsuki. They're a bunch of jerks, I tell you. They're even worse than Naruto! I know I haven't kept in touch with you guys, but I'll find a way to sneak this letter to you. (If you received this letter it means it worked. ;] )_

_To Sai – You must've been surprised when you found out the Akatsuki has held me captive. And I know you and Naruto have been racking your brains, thinking on how to bust me out of here. Don't worry Sai, I'm perfectly safe here. The guys haven't touched me even once, I recently finished my first mission as an Akatsuki – which involved my uncle, by the way – and the pay here is pretty awesome. More than thrice what we get by stealing. And you better do your best taking care of Naruto. We both know how he can get so out-of-control sometimes. Well okay, most of the time._

_To Naruto – You best be behaving well, you birdbrain, I know Sai can't handle you alone. Not without me, at least. And I'm expecting that you won't be barging here anytime soon! You know you can't handle the Akatsuki. They're too strong. I'll be sending you a box of ramen when I can. Keep on smiling!_

_You guys, I really really miss you. The Akatsuki's demise will be soon, just as I make my escape. Love you guys._

_~ Sakura"_

She folded the paper in half, then sent Chizu to deliver it to them stealthily. **[Since Chizu is a vampire snake, she has this special ability to turn into a bat, but only at nighttime. Typical, I know.] **She stood up and lay down on her bed, her anger dissipating a bit after she wrote the message.

Being attached to them. She knows she shouldn't so she swore that she won't, but somehow she feels like she can so she might, depending on the events. Right now she treats them like close acquaintances that live with her under the same roof. The Akatsuki doesn't feel the same for her, at least. She's probably their slave or something. She didn't really care, so she closed her emerald eyes and drifted off into a nap.

ღ×ღ×ღ

Itachi stood outside the base, clutching Sakura's letter.

"Hn," he smirked just as he finished reading it. "Looks like the blossom has some tricks up her sleeve. Feisty, just the way I like it."

ღ×ღ×ღ

**Me: Another chapter on the next day just for you guys! This is a record! Woot! xP**

**I seriously want to thank those who reviewed [which weren't a lot, really. What happened to the reviewers?]. You guys keep on rocking my world! I do hope that this story will get at least 50 reviews by the seventh chapter. **

**Oh!! And I've got a mini-poll. I need you guys to vote on whom Sakura should hook up with, and who will be on a one-sided ___Saku relationship. The choices are any of the Akatsuki males, except for Pein and Konan. [Yes, Madara is included.]**

**I need the results on Friday so I can finish the next chapter. Please vote, people! And don't forget to review!**

**Review Replies:**

**Pendragon1 - Thanks for the review! [hands a brownie]**

**xhyperanimefreakx - I updated it!! Here it is! I updated it as soon as possible!!!! [hands a brownie]**

**nejiskunoichi0011 - Close your mouth. A bug might fly in there. [hands a brownie]**

**xXBlueDazeXx - Yeah, that would be mortifying. Ugh. Thanks for the review! [hands a brownie]**

**Black-Blue Moonlight Neko - Poptarts don't kill! They're delicious! Glad you survived, though. [hands a brownie]**

**REVIEW OR I WON'T CONTINUE!!!!****  
**


	6. Romantic Deception

**A Thief Captured**

**Me: I would like to make a small correction at Chapter Five, for those who noticed – apparently I wrote that they were returning to Amegakure. What I meant was they were going back to Konoha; I guess the fact that the Akatsuki lived at Konoha kinda slipped out of my mind. I would like to apologize for the mistake.**

**Momo-chan: Yeah, my sister's kinda stupid like that. Hope you people understand.**

**Me: Get out of here, Momo! Go create your own FanFiction account. *shoves Momo far, far away***

**Since only a few voted on the __Saku pairings, I have decided on the winners – DeiSaku relationship and one-sided ItaSaku pairing. The ItaSaku will appear on a later chapter together with Sasuke, I promise.**

**Anyways… Naruto, together with its crazy characters and awesome story plot, is not mine (sadly). But I do own ****this**** story's plot. Enjoy.**

Chapter Six: Romantic Deception

Naruto's POV

I woke up the next morning, shivering from the cold when I realized that I had slept on the floor. Apparently I fell from the couch when I was snoozing. I wiped the drool trail on my mouth and rubbed my eyelids groggily, vaguely noticing a splash of white placed just beneath the front door.

"Sai…" I called, my voice slightly hoarse. "There's a letter under the door."

"Go get it yourself, dobe," his icy voice rung from the kitchen. "I'm busy cooking breakfast here."

"Fine, fine." I picked up the small piece of paper and opened it, revealing a very familiar handwriting written in pink ink. I skimmed down to the bottom of the letter and gasped when I read the name of the sender.

"SAI!" I hollered, my hands still shaking from the initial shock. "It's a letter from Sakura-chan!"

ღ×ღ×ღ

After a second Sai immediately rushed over to my side, grabbing the message away from my hands. He read the letter aloud, his expression looking relieved as he found out Sakura's current status.

"Then this means Sakura's safe, but only because she's an Akatsuki member," Sai finally announced.

"But she won't turn on us, right, Sai?" I asked, fiddling with my fingers nervously.

"I don't exactly know, Naruto, since the Akatsuki's objective is to eliminate all wrongdoers and criminals here in Konoha. But I'm sure Sakura's playing a trick on them to earn their trust. _'The Akatsuki's demise will be soon, just as I make my escape'_," he quoted.

"But she won't be able to face them all alone, right? I mean, there are 10 of them against her! Shouldn't we do something about this?!" I argued.

"No, Naruto. We shouldn't interfere with her plans. Didn't she warn us not to barge in? Sakura's a pretty strong woman, I'm sure she'll get loose somehow. If she managed to send this letter to us then that must mean she has her ways, right?" he assured me. "Now come on and eat, your breakfast's getting cold."

I hesitated about it for a moment, then sighed resignedly. I guess I have no choice but to put my faith on Sakura.

ღ×ღ×ღ

Kisame's POV

"Where's the pink-haired bitch?" Hidan asked in his usual colorful language.

"Stop cussing Hidan, it's still early in the morning. Didn't your parents teach you proper manners, hmm?" Deidara chided.

"Stop acting like my mom, Rapunzel," Hidan retorted.

"How many times do I have to get this through your _extremely tiny_ brain, you ancient bastard? I am _not_ fucking gay, yeah!" Deidara blew up.

"Hey, how dare you call me ancient, you bitchy Barbie rip-off! And if my brain is tiny, then yours is fucking _microscopic_!" the Jashinist retaliated.

"Guys, guys, stop arguing, for Pete's sake! The others are still sleeping and you're giving me a huge headache!!" I shouted.

"Look who's talking, Blue Sushi!" Deidara retorted.

"That's it, you've crossed the line! Who do you think you're calling Sushi, you cross-dressing hermaphrodite? And if you utter a single word, you white-haired cuss machine, I won't think twice about shoving my Samehada inside your nasty mouth!" I exploded.

"What is the matter with you people?! It's fucking six o'clock in the fucking morning and you guys are bickering like bitches with PMS!"

We whipped our heads towards the source of the voice. There stood Sakura in the hallway, sending a venomous glare at our direction. She might've not noticed that her loose pajama blouse was halfway unbuttoned at the top, exposing a fair amount of her well-developed breasts. She was also wearing _very short_ shorts, showing her creamy white and flawless legs and soft curves.

I snuck a look at the other men – they stood there silently, their mouth slightly agape. Deidara was running a trail through Sakura's body with his eyes, whereas Hidan was just plain staring. I realized that I was doing the same as well, a small blush covering my cheeks.

"There. Now that's better. We all want quiet, noise-free mornings, you know." She stated before turning around. She walked back to her room, her shapely ass swaying subtly as she took each step.

"Now _that's_ art, yeah." Deidara uttered dazedly.

"That was fucking gorgeous!" Hidan exclaimed.

I shrugged, returning to the kitchen to get my share of breakfast. As I walked, dirty thoughts swarmed around my head, all of them featuring the beautiful rosette.

_Ahh, mental thoughts, get out, get out!_ I thought.

I opened the counter, grabbing a box of cereal.

"'Fruti-o's'_,_" I read aloud from the box. "'Now with a twist of tropical pineapples and grapefruit kids love.' Now who the hell would buy something as stupid as this?"

"Tobi would," a childish voice came from behind me.

"Tobi, you little fuck, what were you thinking when you bought that?! Who do you think we are, a bunch of preschoolers? That was just a waste of my goddamned money," Kakuzu grumbled, joining us in the kitchen.

"Hey, we've had our shares in the Akatsuki funds, too!" I objected. "Besides, cereal's for little kids. Who would eat something as disgusting as this?"

"I don't mind. Besides, I like the taste of pineapples. Right, Tobi?" Sakura snatched the box from my hands, pouring the contents in a small bowl. She'd changed into a more decent outfit – a navy blue tank top with a v-neck line, and camouflage-patterned pants which billowed a bit at the ankles.

"Yeah, Tobi bought the cereal for Sakura-chan," Tobi said.

"Thanks, Tobi-kun," Sakura smiled sweetly, pulling out a milk carton from the refrigerator and emptying it into the bowl.

"You're welcome, Sakura-chan," Tobi replied, scratching the back of his head like he always does. I could tell he was blushing behind his mask.

"Well, that comes out of your salary, Haruno," Kakuzu pronounced, turning to the stove to pick up a few eggs. "You want an omelet, Kisame?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty starved."

ღ×ღ×ღ

Deidara's POV

"True art is fleeting, yeah! A thing could only be considered beautiful if it can explode, yeah!" I argued.

It was around lunchtime when Sasori and I were fighting about art across the dining table. Since the others were on a mission or simply lazy to cook, I figured that maybe I could make something special for lunch today – after Kisame had warned me not to make anything that explodes. I was preparing miso soup when Sasori wandered into the kitchen. We talked for a few minutes, and that simple conversation had blown into a debate about what true art really is.

"No, Deidara, true art is everlasting. Anything that can live to show off its beauty for eternity is appreciated by many, unlike yours – just one big bang and it's gone for good." Sasori fought back.

"Just what are you two arguing about? Look, the soup is boiling already, and neither of you even noticed! If you want to cook, you should pay attention to it so you won't burn up the whole place!" Sakura barged in, stirring the meal before turning off the stove.

I decided to use Sakura as an example. "Look, Sasori-danna – Sakura's combat style is ephemeral; she fights with short punches and kicks yet she creates an impression of grace and strength, yeah! Isn't that what real art is, hm?" I cried.

Sakura blushed; flattered with the compliments she received.

"Deidara, you baka, that's not what art is about. If you look at Sakura closely, you can regard Sakura as a living statue of true beauty. With her marvelous physical and intellectual features, you could easily mistake her as a goddess!" Sasori debated.

Sakura's blush tripled with every word that came out from the artist's mouth.

"But doesn't everyone die someday, hm? If life is short, then that means that Sakura is a short-lived epitome of true magnificence!" I questioned.

"Ugh, Deidara, you really are the perfect example of ignorance! I say that genuine art is eternal, don't you agree, Sakura?" Sasori disputed, turning to Sakura with pleading eyes.

"No, Sakura! Don't fall for his petty lies, yeah!" I warned the rosette, giving her the same eyes. "True art is momentary, right, hm?"

Sakura hesitated, looking at Sasori, then at me, then back to Sasori. She appeared very puzzled.

"Oh look, it's lunchtime! Come on, let's eat, I'm starving!" she blurted out, avoiding the question.

"Deidara, Sakura. I am assigning you both to a mission. I have news from Zetsu that the famous arsonist, Shigeru Hidori, has been spotted at an apartment neat the outskirts of Konoha. The Hokage has orders to capture the criminal immediately. Leave at once." Leader-sama spoke, appearing out of nowhere. He disappeared after relaying the mission.

A smug smile formed on my lips, while a nasty scowl formed on Sasori's. He looked like he wanted to strangle me – badly.

"Let's go, Sakura, we shouldn't delay any longer. See you later, Sasori no Danna, yeah!" I smirked triumphantly at the redhead.

Sakura nodded, then teleported outside with me.

ღ×ღ×ღ

Sakura's POV

"There he is! This should be easy." I said to Deidara, who was right behind me.

"Aw man, I can't use my bombs for such an easy target! Would you let me knock him out, Sakura, hm?" Deidara requested, giving me the puppy eyes.

The puppy eyes. I always have a hard time resisting the puppy eyes, especially when it comes from Naruto, Deidara, or any other blond for that matter.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Okay Deidara. Go get him, but make it quick, okay?"

"Alright, yeah!" After a minute Deidara returned, the convict slung over his shoulder.

We started walking down the dark, familiar (to me, at least – this is the place where I grew up) roads of the outskirts of Konoha. We didn't worry about suspicious onlookers staring at us – people here couldn't care less about their surroundings. I paused for a while, looking at Deidara.

"What's the matter, Sakura? Something wrong, hm?" he asked.

"Deidara… Can I ask you a favor?" I gingerly inquired.

"Sure, Sakura… What is it?" he replied.

"Can I…" I trailed off, too cowardly to finish my sentence. I collected my calm, breathing slowly, then regained my courage. "Can I visit my friends? Please?" I finally said.

"Well…" he hesitated, "I'll allow you to visit them, on one condition, yeah." A strange gleam appeared in his eyes upon replying. I had a bad feeling about this.

"What condition?" I warily asked, eyeing him cautiously.

"I want you to be my girlfriend."

I stood in the middle of the road gaping at the blond bomber. He… he _can't_ possibly be serious, can he?

"That's unfair!" I exclaimed. "That's a very large amount compared to my small whim!"

"It's fair, Sakura," he replied. "If Leader-sama finds out that you visited your friends, he'll give us a punishment – something we both _won't_ like, hm. So, do we have a deal, yeah?"

I thought about it long and hard. I weighed out the pros and cons of having Deidara as my very first boyfriend – if I establish a relationship with an Akatsuki member, I may have the advantage of using him as my stepping stone. I could ask for whatever I want, and chances are I'll probably get it. But on the other hand, the other members, namely Sasori and Hidan, won't like this piece of information one bit. It may start an inter-organizational war between the said members.

I drew out one long breath. "Fine. I'll be your girlfriend." I finally decided.

"Then seal your promise with a kiss, yeah," he demanded, pointing to his full, pale lips.

"And now you're even asking for my first kiss! What is _wrong_ with you?!" I cried.

"Hey, I just want to make sure that you'll do your part of the deal, yeah," he countered, looking offensive.

With a heavy heart, I stood on my toes to meet his lips. They were soft, not like I expected them to be. His lips caressed mine for a short while until I pulled back, not wanting to do it any longer.

"No fair!" he pouted. "That was real short!"

"What matters is I sealed the promise already," I retorted. "Now come on!"

ღ×ღ×ღ

I knocked on the door excitedly. After a few raps the door was opened by Naruto. I thought his eyes were going to roll out with the sight of me standing on his doorway.

"SAKURA-CHAN! I REEEEEEAAAAAALLY MISSED YOU!" he shouted loud enough to wake the dead. He enclosed me in a tight hug.

"N-naruto," I wheezed, unable to breathe. "It's nice to see you too. Now let go of me before you choke me to death."

He immediately obliged, releasing me from his grip. His wide smile turned into a frown when he saw the man behind me.

"Who's that?!" he interrogated harshly, irritated with the presence of another man with me.

"Uh, Naruto, this is Deidara, my–"

"–boyfriend." Deidara finished.

I glared at him angrily, while he just smirked haughtily.

"BOYFRIEND?!" Naruto's scream could practically be heard at the other side of Konoha. Honest.

"I was about to say teammate." I growled.

"But it's true, ain't it, cherry pie?" Deidara drawled out, tipping my face to meet his.

His face collided with my fist. "If you do that one more time, I swear, I'll beat you to a bloody pulp and send your remains to somewhere far, far away."

Sai appeared beside Naruto, wearing a black-and-white apron around his waist. "That's one big sexual harasser you got there, Sakura," he commented.

"Damn right you are, Sai," I agreed.

"Ahem, I'm still standing here together with this unconscious arsonist, in case you haven't noticed, yeah." Deidara deadpanned.

"Whatever, gay faggot. So Sakura, you coming in or not? Lunch is served," Naruto invited.

"Why you son of a-!" Deidara spat. He laid Shigeru aside, leaving the man groaning in pain. I held him back to avoid causing a major riot.

"Uh, thanks for the offer, but we'll pass. Deidara, can I have a moment alone with them? Please?" I pleaded, giving him the best puppy eyes I could.

"No." he rejected flatly.

"Oh Deidara, it'll only be a minute!" I reasoned. "Besides, we haven't seen each other for quite a long time."

"I said 'no', Sakura. I can't leave you alone with them, considering they are your former acquaintances. Besides, Leader would be probably wondering what's taking us too long, hm." Deidara pointed out.

"Okay. So guys," I sighed, turning to my former teammates. "I guess we have to go."

"Sakura, we'll miss you very much," Naruto said.

"Take care of yourself. Don't forget us, Sakura," Sai added.

"Oh, you guys…" I cried, enveloping the two in a big hug. "I'll miss you. I swear. You guys are my best friends in the whole wide world!"

And with that Deidara and I left.

To tell the truth, I was disappointed because I didn't have a moment to discuss my plans with my two partners. I guess I'll just have to continue this romantic deception to get my way around the Akatsuki.

ღ×ღ×ღ

"You don't trust me, do you, Deidara?" I accused as we slowly trudged back to the base.

"Oh Sakura, I didn't mean it like that, yeah! I just can't bear to see you with other men. I can get jealous, you know." Deidara assured me. I could tell he was lying.

"Sorry I doubted you, Deidara." I apologized. Two could play this game.

Deidara suddenly caught my lips, slipping his tongue inside my mouth as I gasped. He explored my mouth thoroughly, to which I moaned uncontrollably. He smirked, then continued to ravish my mouth.

After a few minutes of making out he finally broke off, leaving me gasping for breath – literally. "Delicious, yeah," he said, licking his lips as he winked at me.

We reached the base carrying the still unconscious criminal. I was still flushed, and Itachi immediately noticed this. He put his hand on my forehead. "You're heating up, Sakura-san. Have you come up with an illness?" he questioned.

"No, Uchiha-sama, this is nothing." I replied, taking his hand off.

A pair of arms immediately snaked its way around my waist, pulling me towards a very jealous Deidara.

"Sakura's mine, got it?" He snarled at Itachi. The Uchiha merely raised an eyebrow at his statement.

"What do you mean 'yours'? Last time I checked, Sakura belongs to no one," Sasori stated.

"Well, she belongs to me now, yeah. Isn't that right, Sakura, hm?"

"Yes. Now let me go, I'm going to take a rest."

"But that can't fucking be! Sakura, you actually agreed to become Shitface's fucking lover?!" Hidan shouted.

"I don't want to speak another word about this anymore." I pronounced.

I marched to my room, leaving the three men arguing once more.

ღ×ღ×ღ

I lay down on my bed, registering everything that just happened.

_This is nothing but a big lie to help finish my plans,_ I told myself.

_**But what will you do if Deidara finds out?**_ Inner asked.

_Let him go to hell,_ I replied.

_**Do you really love Deidara?**_ Inner quipped.

_No, Inner. I can't afford to harbor affection towards these men. Emotions will only get in the way of my strategy,_ I disagreed.

_**You know, you sound like that Uchiha hunk right now, **_Inner mentioned.

_Whatever._

"Things are going according to my plan," I whispered to myself.

ღ×ღ×ღ

By the time I woke up that afternoon, I definitely felt something was off.

_Did the Akatsuki adopt a dog, or something…?_ I asked inwardly.

_**No, I don't think so… Why? **_Inner answered.

_There's something licking my face! _I shrieked.

I immediately shot my eyes open, only to find Deidara hovering above me, his hand-mouths lapping at my face.

"Deidara!" I yelped, "What the hell are you–"

He smashed his lips on mine and whispered against my lips, "I love you very much, Sakura."

"I love you too, Deidara but…"

"Shh, Sakura. That's all I wanted to hear."

He licked my lower lip, asking for entrance, and I eagerly granted. I wrapped my arms around his neck and began to move my lips against his. His tongue danced around mine playfully, while I only flickered mine shyly, having little experience with men.

I got too absorbed in the kiss that I didn't realized that he had slipped one hand inside my shirt, cupping my rather large breast. He fondled my breast, eliciting a mewl from me. Meanwhile, his other hand began to wander downwards until it reached my zipper. He was about to pull it down when I cried, "No!"

He stopped his ministrations, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

"I… I'm not ready for that yet." I explained, a heavy blush covering my face.

"Alright, my blossom, we'll leave your pants alone… for now, hm." He smiled at me gently, which eased my fears.

He removed my tank top and continued our heavy make-out session.

ღ×ღ×ღ

After half an hour we were sprawled out on my bed, both of our lips swollen from kisses. Deidara rested his head on the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply, taking in my scent.

"Aishiteru, Sakura."

I didn't answer. I lied to him once by saying I loved him back, and I wasn't about to do it again. I would be fooling myself if I told him that.

I covered my blanket over our half-naked bodies as sleep took over us.

ღ×ღ×ღ

**Me: Okay, that was awkward. My very first lime. God, I am such a pervert! –ω–"**

**So… tell me what you think? Have I done it well? Ugh, I swear, I was feeling very uneasy when I wrote the steamy part.**

**Anyways, don't forget to review! And I need your ideas for the later chapters!**

**Review Replies****:**

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******REVIEEEEEW!!! THINK OF THE POOR NARUTO CHRACTERS! XD**  



	7. Poison

**A Thief Captured**

**Me: Thank you so much for the reviews!!! They were really appreciated ^ω^**

**I was kinda disappointed (only a little!) that I wasn't able to achieve my 50 reviews by the seventh chapter. But no worries people, that won't stop me from continuing this story. I am definitely gonna finish this by April or early May, I think. [Just in time for my birthday!! ^ω****]**

**I am running out of ideas on how to continue this story (I get my ideas from Momo-chan, but she's running low on them, too) so I really need your suggestions!**

**Momo, disclaimer please!**

**Momo-chan: Satsuki-chan does not own Naruto, period! Now I'm off to see the Wizard of Oz!! **

**Me: Yeah, whatever, thanks sis. And now without further ado, here is Chapter Seven of A Thief Captured!**

Chapter Seven: Poison

Third Person POV

Sakura stirred her jade eyes open to see Deidara sound asleep beside her, snoring slightly on her bed. She gently removed his arm from her torso, afraid to wake the blonde up. Once freed from her so-called lover's grasp she proceeded to her bathroom to wash up, picking up her discarded top along the way.

Once inside the bathroom she slipped off the rest of her clothes and stepped into her huge bathtub, but not before sliding the semi-transparent glass door securely shut. She sighed at the feeling of the warm water cascading down her shoulders towards the rest of her body. She emptied half a bottle of her strawberry-scented body wash, creating thick and fluffy bubbles inside the bathtub.

_Maybe I should do this more often when I'm not on a mission,_ she thought to herself.

Just as she was relaxing on her bathtub paradise she heard the bathroom door swing open. _It must be Deidara, _she thought, because of the blurry color of yellow visible on the other side of the glass door.

Then the unexpected happened. The glass door was slid open, revealing a half-naked Deidara and a flushed, bubble-covered Sakura sitting inside the bathtub.

Seconds passed; the two were still gawking at each other. Finally Sakura covered her chest with her hand while the other grabbed the nearest soap bar and launched it at the gaping man.

"GET THE HELL OUT!!!!" Sakura screamed; throwing whatever she could get her hands on towards the poor artist.

Deidara hastily flew out of the bathroom and slammed the door quickly, mumbling apologies to the enraged rosette.

"Stupid pervert!" she yelled, continuing her interrupted shower.

ღ×ღ×ღ

"Ohayo, Hime-sama **[Good morning, Princess]**," Kisame greeted while flipping some pancakes on a large pan.

"Ohayo," Sakura replied, rubbing her hair dry with a towel. She wore a tight sleeveless turtleneck with denim shorts. She looked around the kitchen and saw only Itachi and Kakuzu sitting on the dining chairs. "Where are the others?"

"They are asleep. Pein-sama and Konan-sama are inside the office, probably planning about the next missions. Tobi and Zetsu are on a mission at Sunagakure." Itachi informed her monotonically, looking up from his poetry book.

"Pein-sama?" Sakura asked, completely puzzled. "Oh, you mean Leader-sama, right?"

"Hai. Only he doesn't like to be called by his name," Kakuzu replied, not taking his eyes off his money. "Wait… Why is this only 7,500 ryo? Where did my 1,500 go? Hidan, you bastard!!!!"

"Calm down, stitch-ass," Hidan complained, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he entered the room. "I asked you if I could borrow some money, but since you won't fucking answer because you're busy counting your Jashin-damned money, I took it as a fucking 'yes'."

"Either you pay it today or I'll rip off your limbs one by one, you little fuck!" Kakuzu warned, pulling out his stitches from his robe.

"Go on, bitch, I'll just ask Pinky over here to put me back together," Hidan smirked, casting a smug look at Sakura's direction.

"It depends. Hidan, where exactly did you spend Kakuzu's money?" she interrogated.

Hidan hesitated for a while before answering, "On a fucking puppy."

"Where's the puppy, then?"

"I killed it as a sacrifice."

"I don't believe you." The medic glanced over at Itachi, who was watching the heated argument with amusement. "Itachi, what did Hidan spend the money on?"

"He reeked of alcohol last night, so he came from the bar, most probably."

"Wow, I didn't know Itachi had a fucking huge mouth. Thanks a fucking lot." Hidan commented sarcastically. He sighed. "Okay, I admit, I spent stitch-face's money at the bar. But could I just repay you back next week?" Hidan pleaded at his partner.

"No."

"What the hell?! You really are a cheapskate, money-whore."

"Pay it or prepare to spend the rest of your life without your arms and legs."

"Stop, I'll pay for Hidan. I don't want blood all over the Akatsuki base," Sakura interrupted, fishing out some bills from her wallet. She handed the money to Kakuzu who grunted in response. After that she glared at Hidan and told the Jashinist, "Make sure you pay me by the end of the week, got it?"

"Sure. You know," Hidan walked over to the rosette slowly, "I could pay you with my body. What do you say, wanna do it?"

He was answered with a slap and a strong kick on his jaw. "Do it again and I'll just let Kakuzu take out your limbs for good!"

Huffily the girl took a seat beside Itachi. The Sharingan wielder eyed her form hungrily until Sakura looked at him quizzically. He quickly averted his gaze and returned to his poetry reading.

"Nani desu ka, Uchiha-sama? **[What is it, Uchiha-sama?]**" she asked.

"Betsuni **[Nothing]**," he replied, hiding his blush by burying his face in his book.

By then Deidara entered the room, dragging Sasori by the collar. They were both dressed in their uniforms, meaning they have a mission that day. They took a seat across Sakura and Itachi, waiting for their meal.

"Sakura-chan," Deidara started, looking at her nervously. "About earlier… I didn't see anything, yeah! Honest!!"

"Ii desu Deidara. **[It's okay Deidara.]** It was only an accident." Sakura assured him, smiling softly.

The blonde bomber blushed profoundly, grinning from ear to ear. "Glad to hear that, hm!"

Both Itachi and Sasori growled silently, glaring daggers at Deidara. Apparently Deidara noticed this, and happily returned the gesture.

The tense atmosphere lasted for a while until a plate of golden-brown pancakes was set before them, its heavenly aroma filling the air.

"Ne, that smells good!" Sakura exclaimed, gripping her chopsticks. "Itadakimasu!"

She wolfed down the food hungrily, leaving nothing for the others. After she was finished she patted her full stomach, sighing contentedly.

"She finished them all," Sasori said, staring at the empty plate.

"What will _we_ eat?!" Hidan wailed, anime tears streaming down his face.

Kisame smirked at his depressed and starving friends. "Not to worry, I knew this would happen, considering Sakura's insatiable appetite. I made more pancakes than usual!" The others cheered while Kisame stood in front of them, diamond sparkles surrounding him.

**[Just think of this scene as an anime comedy part where the hero is standing on a stage with spotlight and sparkles around him; while the others are cheering and crying tears of joy. And I personally find it very weird for Itachi and Sasori to do this as well. xD] **

"Somebody better tie up Sakura-san before she finishes the pancakes as well!"

And so, the rest of Akatsuki (save for Pein, Konan, Tobi and Zetsu) ate their delicious breakfast while Sakura, who was restrained on a chair, watched them with a drooling mouth. "This is so unfair!" she whined.

"Good morning, everyone." A deep voice greeted them from nowhere. They turned around with stuffed mouths (except Sakura), where they saw Pein standing on the doorway, with Konan standing silently right behind him. They quickly swallowed their food and greeted back.

"Good morning Leader-sama, Konan-sama." They replied in chorus.

"There are pancakes for breakfast, Leader-sama." Sasori notified.

"I see," Pein replied. "Can somebody explain why Haruno-san is tied up on a chair?"

"Oh, that! Well, you see, we thought she was going to finish the pancakes leaving us with none, yeah…" Deidara explained apprehensively.

"Well, somebody better release her, because she has a mission together with Itachi and Kisame," Pein informed formally. "The Hokage has asked us to go to Otogakure **[Sound Village]** because they believed that Orochimaru, together with Sasuke Uchiha, had been last spotted near the borders of the said village." Itachi stiffened at the mention of his little brother's name. "Since the rest of us have missions to fulfill, I am sending you three to complete this mission. This may be our last shot to kill Orochimaru, and if we are lucky, we may also be able to retrieve Sasuke. Leave at dawn tomorrow. That is all."

Upon finishing his report he and Konan left, leaving the room in total silence.

"Sasuke Uchiha? Orochimaru? Who are they?" Sakura inquired as Sasori freed her. "Hey wait a minute… Uchiha? Uchiha-sama, are you related to Sasuke?"

"Hai." The Uchiha took a deep breath before answering, "Sasuke Uchiha is my brother. He murdered the whole Uchiha clan, and then left in search of power. Along the way he met Orochimaru, a powerful sannin from Konoha. Orochimaru is a fugitive; he is convicted because of studying forbidden jutsu inside Konoha, as well as experimenting with human beings. He must have deluded Sasuke to train under him. That was 2 years ago, and shinobi from different countries are on the lookout for the two."

"I see," Sakura nodded, taking in every bit of information. "If you said he massacred the Uchiha clan, then why are you still alive?"

"He wasn't able to kill me because I was on a mission when the assassination happened. On the other hand, I don't think he noticed that." Itachi answered.

"Itachi was very depressed when he found out about that. However, he was trained to disregard and conceal his emotions, so he went on with his life as if nothing happened." Kisame supplied.

Sakura gripped the Uchiha's hand, holding it tightly. "I'm very sorry to hear about that, Uchiha-sama," she consoled sincerely.

"Arigato," Itachi replied, enjoying the warmth that came from the rosette's hand. He didn't notice the stares and glares coming from the other members, who were watching the exchange with wide eyes. This was their first time to see Itachi being emotional.

"Ahem," Deidara interjected, eyeing the couple's linked hands disapprovingly. "Sorry to interrupt your sweet moment but breakfast is over. Sasori-danna and I will have to clean the kitchen, hm."

Sakura immediately let go of Itachi's hand, to which the raven-haired man scowled.

"I have to go out… Ano, you know, to shop!" Sakura laughed nervously, grabbing Kisame's hand and tugging him hurriedly outside. "Ja ne, minna! **[See you later, everyone!]**"

ღ×ღ×ღ

**[Time Skip =two days later]**

Sakura's POV

Itachi, Kisame and I were hopping through several branches of tall trees, making our way towards Otogakure. Itachi had said the night before that we were already close to the said village; it won't take us long before we would reach our destination. And so as we leapt; I could already see a small village filled with not-so-many people, with a fairly large circular building at the center.

"Is this really Otogakure?" I asked, pausing a while to catch my breath. "I didn't expect it to be so… small."

"This is the outskirts of Otogakure," Itachi said. "Otogakure is still a few miles away."

"So I heard the Uchiha brat is residing here together with his pedophilic master," Kisame quipped, his rough laughter lightening up the mood.

"Silence, Kisame." Itachi commanded, craning his neck to get a closer look. "We can't afford to attract attention, especially since this village is quite silent, and could easily perceive any foreign movements or noises." He turned to me with a serious expression and said, "Haruno, you are to pretend you are a lost traveler. Chances are one of the guards will present you to Sasuke or Orochimaru. Be careful not to show that you are a kunoichi or else they will hold you captive. Do your best to distract both of them while Kisame and I eliminate the security forces. After all are clear I will give you a signal via a small explosion, and that is your cue to hold either Sasuke or Orochimaru as hostage. Is that clear?"

"Hai," I answered, slightly puzzled by the complex instructions given by Itachi. I glanced at Kisame who just shrugged and grinned. "There's a reason why he's the brains among the two of us," he said.

I landed swiftly and took off my shinobi vest and trousers, leaving my plain white t-shirt and baggy pants. I pulled out a couple of kunai and my snake scrolls, then tossed the remaining equipment and clothes to Kisame. I hid the weapons underneath my clothes, where they would be undetected. I scuffed and dirtied my clothes and ruffled my hair in order to look weak and helpless. Finally I set foot inside the quaint village, walking tiredly towards one of the guards.

"Sir…" I called, coughing a little. "Where am I? I've been traveling for a month now, and I haven't eaten or drunk for a couple of days."

Now I may not be the world's greatest actress, but I have to say that I made some pretty impressive performance. The stupid guard bought my story and draped an arm around my shoulder, helping me to stand and walk around.

"Where're you come from?" he asked while he accompanied me to the round building. I coughed again, this time looking more pitiful. "Konoha," I whispered.

"Konoha? That's a little far, ain't it?" he smiled at me, waving to one of his comrades positioned in front of the building. The other guard held me by the waist. I lowered my chakra levels to remain inconspicuous. "What happened to her, mate?" the sentinel asked worriedly, looking at my ragged form.

"She's lost, and she hasn't taken a bite for days," the former explained. "Now why did you leave your village, lass? Are you a kunoichi?"

"Hai," I meekly replied, looking up at them with watery eyes. "I was once a kunoichi there, but the people treated me badly, they saw me as a weak ninja. They even threatened to kill me… So one day I ran away aimlessly, and this is the first village I've seen in weeks. I'm also running out of chakra, and I've run out of food and supplies…"

"Come on miss, I'll accompany you to Sasuke-sama. He'll know what to do with you." The guard holding me led me inside. It was like the Akatsuki base, but smaller, darker, and creepier. We walked for a short while until we reached a large door at the end of the hallway. The man knocked once, and a soft "Hn" was heard.

We stepped inside the dim room. The guard set me near the door and walked towards another man with black hair that was shaped like a chicken's butt. He looked like a younger version of Itachi, and he was about the same age as me.

"Sir," the sentinel said, "we found this girl wandering about. She said she ran away from her village."

"Hn," Sasuke replied. He sounded a lot like his brother. "You may leave; I will be taking care of her from now."

_Gullible idiots,_ I thought to myself.

_**Right,**_ Inner replied smugly. _**5 minutes of plain drama and we've already achieved our first objective. Now we'll just have to sit back, relax, and wait for Itachi to give us the signal.**_

"Hey," Sasuke's monotonic voice startled me out of my thoughts.

I rubbed my eyes for a tired effect. "Sorry, I kinda space out sometimes…"

"You said you came from Konoha." He stated.

"Hai."

"How long have you been traveling?"

"About a month, I think."

"Explain your abilities as a ninja, as well as details on your abandonment of Konoha."

"As a ninja I am highly skilled in medicinal jutsu as well as taijutsu. As for the reason on why I left… I don't like the way they treated me."

"Oh?" he uttered, looking interested. "Care to elaborate?"

"They thought of me as weak and useless. They have imperiled my life."

"What is your name, girl?"

"Sakura," I replied. "Sakura Haruno."

"Hmm, that sounds vaguely familiar."

"What do we have here, Sasuke-kun? A stray lamb?" A new voice interrupted our conversation. Golden snake-like eyes scanned my being, like I was a prey. He approached my and tilted my chin, moving his face towards mine. He was way too close for comfort, so I moved my head back and avoided his keen gaze. I wanted nothing but to spit at his pale face, but for the sake of the mission I held my anger back.

_He really _is_ a sick pedophile!_ I exclaimed in disgust.

"You're quite pretty," he complimented, releasing my chin. He stood up and turned to Sasuke. "Why is a young girl like her here in a place like this?"

"She ran away and ended up here," Sasuke answered indifferently.

"Ran away?" The snake's eyes gleamed with interest. "Tell me girl, do you want to stay here with us? I could train you to become stronger."

"I…" A bomb exploded, surprising the two. I quickly pulled out the kunai I've hidden and quickly charged towards Sasuke, but I was taken aback when I felt my wrists being pulled violently, and my back crashed into a hard object – which turned out to be Sasuke's chest. He placed his kunai on my throat, while he kept my arms locked behind my back.

"Not so fast," he taunted, a dangerous glint appearing in his obsidian orbs. "I thought I saw a weapon or two from beneath those ragged clothes of yours."

Itachi and Kisame stormed inside, and were surprised with the sight of me being held hostage by Itachi's brother.

"So you're with them," Sasuke said, pushing the kunai to my throat which created a shallow cut. Blood dripped down towards my collarbone, and the sting of the wound made me wince.

"Take a single step and she's dead," Orochimaru warned, then took out a long sword from his throat. Ew.

"Bastard," I cursed. I threw a smirk towards Itachi whose eyebrows rose in surprise and confusion.

If I can execute the position I'm in, then I can definitely get out of it, too.

I spread my legs apart and tilted my head back, then swung my arms to the side, effectively twisting Sasuke's arm. Once my hands were free I placed a roundhouse kick right at his jaw, emitting a cracking sound. I swiftly threw my kunai to Orochimaru's hand which made him drop the sword, and I kicked the weapon as far as I could. The snake sannin quickly stood up and charged at me, making a series of hand signs as he ran. A large snake emerged from one of his sleeves, its large fangs aimed at my direction. I stepped to the side, dodging the attack. But a sharp, piercing pain shot through my ankle, and I looked down to see that a smaller snake had bitten me. Based on its appearance I could tell it was a poison snake, but this one was less dangerous than Cross.

Or so I thought.

Within minutes my head felt light, and I had trouble fighting Orochimaru off. Itachi was busy combating with his brother, and Kisame had to face off several sentries. Mostly I was just blocking and dodging the sannin's attacks for I was too weak to counter them with my own. The poison injected in my body was slowly eating my chakra disabling me to heal myself, and was tiring out my muscles. If I couldn't finish him soon enough I was sure I would collapse, and would probably wind up dead. So I did the only thing that could keep me alive.

I kissed him.

Believe me; I was ready to puke at that time. But somehow my approach was effective; he froze in place and stopped attacking. He even kissed back. It was really gross making out with a large, slimy serpent. I'd rather kiss my snakes, thank you very much.

Taking that opportunity I took out the last kunai strapped on my waist, and plunged it deep in his neck. He let out a strangled cry before collapsing onto the cold, hard floor; his blood covering the gray marble tiles.

I lifted the forgotten sword and imbedded it in his heart, to make sure he was dead. I wasn't taking any chances.

I spit out in disgust, wiping my lips repeatedly. By that time I was wheezing; I could barely stand up. I fell to the ground on my knees, and Kisame and Itachi rushed over to me.

"Where's… Sasuke…" I choked out.

"He escaped. What happened to you?" Kisame asked in panic.

"I was bitten by the bastard's snake…" I panted, gasping for breath. "Take me to Sasori…he'll know what to do…"

"Sakura! Hang in there Sakura!"

The words were barely registered in my mind when my consciousness slipped away, as I fell into slumber's arms.

ღ×ღ×ღ

Itachi's POV

Kisame slung Sakura over his shoulder, following me as I walked towards Orochimaru's bloodied corpse. Sakura did an excellent job, considering her condition while she battled. Blood was still oozing out of Orochimaru's neck, while his long sword was buried on his chest. His lips appeared swollen, though.

"Should we go, Itachi?" Kisame inquired.

"Not yet. I still have to cremate his body, so there won't be any chance of his revival. I've noticed that Kabuto was nowhere to be found," I replied.

I stood in front of his body, making a series of hand signs. I made a circle with my index finger and thumb and placed it before my lips.

"Katon. Fireball technique!"

A small ball of fire emerged from my mouth, burning the snake's remains into ashes. I turned around and exited, with Kisame tagged along.

_Be strong, Sakura._

ღ×ღ×ღ

**Me: Chapter Seven finished! I would really like to thank my sister Momo for her idea for this chapter.**

**I'd like to inform you that I'll be updating less often, mainly because the finals are coming up, and I really want to get high grades. But I'll try to continue this story during my spare time; you know I can't resist writing for you adorable readers! **

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**kittychic0895 - Yeah, she has the guts of a real thief.. ^^ ****[hands a slice of chocolate cake]**

**swordmistress2069 - Yep. Thank Kami MasaKishi created all those yummy, smexylicious men. :P ****[hands a slice of chocolate cake]**

**xXBlueDazeXx - Well, I can't tell something about that.. We'll see, though. ^^ ****[hands a slice of chocolate cake]**

**,klmknm - Thankies^^ ****[hands a slice of chocolate cake]**

******PLEASE REVIEW!! Me like reviews.. :]  
**


	8. Brief Recovery

**A Thief Captured**

**Me: Arigato gozaimasu for those who reviewed~!**

**Oh, and as I was reading the reviews for my story I can't help but laugh at Orochimaru's new [for me, I guess] nickname – Oreo-chan! KAWAII !! ω**

**Thanks for all the support, people!**

**I don't own Naruto. Yet. :D**

**Begin!

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Brief Recovery

Third Person POV

Kisame rushed through the hallways, carrying Sakura in his arms. He slammed Sasori's door open, earning a heated glare from the redhead.

"Kisame, what the hell?! Don't you know how to knock?!" Sasori, who was reading a book, scowled.

"This is no time for manners, Sasori! Quick, see what you can do with Sakura!" the shark cried, laying the rosette on Sasori's bed. She was flushed and burning with fever and her breathing was getting worse by the minute. She was still unconscious; however she was twitching wildly, like she got electrocuted, and her heartbeat was very rapid.

Sasori quickly opened a small briefcase and pulled out a couple of injections. He inserted the contents into Sakura's bloodstream, which diminished her convulsion and calmed her breathing and heartbeat. Her temperature lowered a bit, but was still alarmingly high.

Kisame watched the procedures nervously, fiddling with his fingers and walking around the room back and forth. Even if he was brash and fearless, Sakura's current condition scared him like hell.

Sasori finally stood up straight and faced the blue-skinned shinobi. "Sakura is fine for now, except for her still high temperature. I had injected her with basic anti-venom for I had concluded she was bitten by Orochimaru's snakes, am I correct?" Kisame nodded in response. Sasori continued, "Then I suppose you can bring her back to her room to rest. Just let her drink a couple of paracetamols when she wakes up, and make sure she drinks plenty of water. You may also bring her some painkillers if she complains of migraine. I've collected a sample of the poison infused in her bloodstream, within a couple of hours I'll be able to identify the specific type of venom and, if possible, create the cure for it. The medicine injected into her was only temporary; it'll wear off in a couple of days or so."

"So she'll be okay if she takes the anti-venom?" Kisame asked.

"Not necessarily. As I said, the anti-venom's effect is only temporary. If she continues to take it, the poison will be immune to the medicine; thus, neutralizing the anti-venom's effect. We could only hope and pray that the venom's remedy can be easily acquired."

And that was what they did.

Sakura's POV

"Ugh. My head hurts like hell!!!"

I sat up straight swiftly, which only worsened my throbbing headache. I allowed my eyes to adjust to the dim light for a short while, then I found out I was confined in my room. I felt around for a small pouch which was formerly located in my pocket, to which I found it sitting on my desk chair together with a note that read "Pick-pocketing on a mission. That wasn't very nice. ~Sasori". I 'tch'ed in response and smirked, replacing the purse inside my pants. A thief's gotta do what thieves usually do.

I quickly recalled the last time I was awake – when I finished off Oro-bastard.

"That's right, I killed that insane pedophile…" I muttered.

"Who? Orochimaru?" Konan entered my room, carrying a bowl of something and a glass of water on a tray.

"Konan-chan!" I exclaimed, happy to see my best friend in the Akatsuki.

"Nice to see you too after a long time, Sakura-chan. Now drink the medicine on your desk before another migraine attacks you." She set the tray on my bedside desk and sat down on the chair beside me. I gulped down the tablet and drank the water.

"Ahh," I moaned as I felt my headache disappear. "That certainly hit the spot!"

"So Sakura-chan," Konan leaned upon the back of the chair as she spoke, "tell me about your mission in Otogakure. I remember that you killed Orochimaru, right?"

"Hell yeah! That snake was no match for me!" I gloated.

"How did it go? Did you meet Sasuke?" Konan asked.

"You mean Uchiha-sama's little bro?" She nodded. "Yeah, I met him. Kinda like Itachi, really. Both in appearance and attitude. Uses the expression 'hn'. And his hair, looks like a _chicken's butt!_" I howled in laughter while Konan tried to keep a straight face. I could tell she was about to laugh hysterically, but for the sake of her "solemn" reputation, she stifled it. A small giggle escaped her lips, though.

"But he was cute, right?"

I choked on my own spit. "Say what?"

"He's _cute_. Like Uchiha-cute. You know Itachi's really hot, right? You know, if I wasn't tied to Pein right now, I would've considered going after that fine piece of ass." Konan explained.

I nodded, agreein with that seemingly true statement. Sasuke wasn't bad at all; in fact, he reminded me of Sai in a completely weird way. I contemplated about that until her last comment caught up with me. "You're _Pein's_ girlfriend?!" I exclaimed. I cannot believe that my best girl friend was in a relationship with the creepy leader of the Akatsuki.

What, am I dead to the world or something?

"It's _fiancée_," She corrected. "We're gonna get married by next year. Today's our anniversary, by the way. And I thought you already know…"

"But I'm with Deidara, remember?! As much as would like to stay single, I can't. And besides, Deidara's pretty hot too, if he didn't look so feminine." I defended.

"Let's see, there's Sasori, and Hidan, and maybe Kisame and Zetsu. And there's definitely Itachi, who's _madly_ in love with you. You know Deidara's not the _only_ fish in the sea, do you?" She elaborated.

"How would you feel if I asked you the same question?!" I countered. slightly offended with the sudden query for no reason (even if it _was_ true).

"But I'm engaged, Sakura-chan." She held up her left hand which had a small diamond-encrusted ring on her ring finger. "That doesn't apply to me now. And besides, I'm very happy with Pein right now. Unlike you, who seems to be grudging every second you spend with Deidara."

"Well, that's partly true…" I admitted, reiterating the times when Deidara would suddenly go cuddly and sweet with me and I'd just push him off like some stray puppy. "Hey wait, did you say Itachi's in _love_ with me?!"

"You, Sakura Haruno, are the slowest person I've ever known. Of course he'd be infatuated with you! And he's not the only one. With your _extremely sexy_ body, and your doll-like face, and your kick-ass strength and attitude, who _wouldn't_ fall for you?" She asked.

"Wow. That's pretty flattering. But we're not sure if your accusations are a hundred percent true, Konan-chan." I stretched backwards, smiling when I heard a faint popping sound. I stood up, patting Konan's shoulder as I made my way through the door. "I'm getting a bite from the kitchen. Care to join me?"

"Wait," she called, scrambling to my side, "Sakura! Kisame-san told me to give you your medicine! And you need to rest!"

"Rest shmest! What this kunoichi needs is more training! And food!"

And upon finishing that statement I marched down to the kitchen where I made low-fat popcorn and diet soda. Oh, I was definitely feeling better.

***With Sasori and Kisame***

"Oh, Kisame-san, I'm glad I caught up with you." Sasori called to the blue-skinned shinobi who was walking along the corridors of the Akatsuki base. "I've already identified the venom Orochimaru used on Sakura. Fortunately Zetsu already has the cure for the poison, it seems that he had encountered the same type of venom before."

Kisame sighed in relief. "That's great. Thank you, Sasori."

Sasori nodded in response. "Now I suggest we go to Sakura's room immediately to deliver her medicine as soon as possible."

The two walked towards Sakura's quarters where they found the room empty. Sasori walked towards the desk chair and upon seeing the pouch gone and a small note taking its place, he announced, "She left." He picked up the piece of paper which read, "Meanie. :P ~Sakura".

"Left?" Kisame echoed, slightly bewildered. "Where could have Pinky gone now?"

"She's in the kitchen," Konan answered, gathering Sakura's discarded utensils from the bedside table.

"Kitchen?" the two spoke simultaneously, and they proceeded to the said place at once.

They were impressed by the flurry of movements inside the kitchen – Sakura placed a small bag of popcorn inside the microwave, then she stirred whatever she was cooking inside a large pan. She attended to the blender where she was making a fruitshake while she was cleaning up after her mess at the same time.

"She sure does recover fast, doesn't she?" Sasori commented, watching the rosette streak around the kitchen. He and Kisame were standing on the doorway of the kitchen. "One minute she was barely conscious, and the next minute she's hopping around like a bunny that drank ten gallons of coffee."

"It's amazing what your anti-venom can do, Sasori," Kisame said, the same awed expression plastered on his face. "I seriously didn't think she'd recuperate _this_ quickly."

"I don't think this is the medicine's effects, Kisame-san," Sasori replied, entering the said room. "I believe Sakura Haruno's really an amazing girl." He let a small smirk grace his lips.

"If she wasn't that much of a pick-pocket, that is."

* * *

**Me: Chapter Eight done!! *dances around***

**I apologize for the very long hiatus and the short chappie. I twisted my left arm last February and I wasn't able to notify you guys because, well, I thought Momo had already done that. Apparently she **_**didn't**_**.**

**Momo: Hey, it wasn't my fault!**

**Me: Whatever. You go apologize to the readers right now, young lady.**

**Momo: (Jeez, you sound like my mother right now.) Okay, I'm sorry people; I know I should've posted some note about my sister's accident.**

**Me: Anyways I'm fine now, I've been released from the hospital recently, and my arm's still kinda sore. Thanks for waiting anyway!**

**Please review! I realized this story isn't getting a lot of attention recently.**


	9. Kidnapped

**A Thief Captured**

**Me: Thanks for the (sadly, quite few) reviews!!! I definitely felt better as I read them (so did my arm :D). Here are cream puffs for your much-appreciated support! [hands a large basket full of cream puffs]**

**If Naruto and its characters were mine, Sasuke and Naruto would be making out, and Orochimaru and Karin never existed at all. So thank your Kami I didn't rule the Naru-verse. :x**

**Begin!

* * *

**

Chapter Nine: Kidnapped

Third Person POV

"Sasuke-sama, here are the recent reports from your top spies, as you requested." Kabuto handed a brown sealed envelope to Sasuke, who was sitting on his throne inside their compound. Ever since Orochimaru died he had acquired the title as the Kage of the Sound Village.

Grunting in response, Sasuke peeled off the seal and examined the papers until he found a certain page.

_Sakura Haruno_

_Age: 17_

_Birthday: March 28  
_

_Element: Water, Earth and Fire_

_Ninja Rank: Jounin_

_Current Location: Konohagakure_

_Expertise: Medicinal Jutsu and Taijutsu_

_Background: The only daughter of the former ANBU captain of Konoha, Seishin Haruno, as well as one of the most respected medic-nins, Naoko Haruno. She had lost both of her parents at the age of 14, and was subjected to her uncle Akiko Yugami's care but, wanting to keep the Haruno property to himself, kicked Sakura out and disclaimed her._

_She took refuge in her sensei Suichi Kudouri's abode until he, a wanted robber, was slaughtered and turned over to the authorities._

_She had lived with her teammates Naruto Uzumaki and Sai, working as thieves, until an ambush from the organization Akatsuki held her captive._

_She has been working alongside the Akatsuki since her capture._

"Interesting," Sasuke muttered as he finished reading the page. "I think we're going to pay the cherry blossom a little visit."

***At the Akatsuki Base***

"Katon. Dancing Flame Dragons Technique*!"

Two large dragons made of several balls of fire appeared before Sakura, bobbing up and down in a dancing motion. Sakura lifted her arm towards the direction of the wooden kunai targets. The twin dragons encircled the logs and after a few seconds, the dragons gave way, revealing three piles of ashes which were those of the logs.

"That was remarkable, Sakura-san." Itachi jumped down from a tree branch not too far from where the rosette was standing.

"Uchiha-sama!" She quickly dispelled the jutsu. The dragons turned into little sparkling ashes, falling upon the two. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to ask if you'd like to have a sparring match with me," Itachi answered, casually strolling towards Sakura. Sakura immediately remembered Konan's words – _"And there's definitely Itachi, who's madly in love with you." _A small blush appeared on her cheeks upon hearing these words. Her blush increased tenfold when she returned her attention to her surroundings, and found Itachi's face near hers.

"Sakura? Is something the matter?" Itachi asked worriedly, boring his stare into her wide emerald orbs.

"N-nothing! I just tuned out, that's all," she stuttered, giving a fake and nervous laugh. She willed her panic attack away and retained her composure.

"Well?" Itachi prompted, backing away from the pink-haired girl to give her some space. "Are we going to train or not?"

"I'm ready whenever you are, Uchiha-sama," Sakura replied, getting into her fighting stance.

"Please, just call me Itachi," the raven-haired man advised, appearing behind the rosette.

_Eh?! How the hell did he get behind me that fast?!_ Sakura panicked.

_**No time to ponder upon that,**_ Inner Sakura replied. _**There's a kick coming from behind!**_

Sakura swiftly stepped to the side to evade the attack, but saw Itachi across her, rushing forward.

_He's too fast! What do I do?!_ She wailed.

_**They're just clones, **_Inner informed her. _**Fight each one off and try to find the real Itachi!**_

Sakura took out a kunai and hurled it towards the clone, then jumped up to count the remaining clones.

_There are 6 of them,_ she counted. _And they're all near each other! Perfect!_

She landed on a nearby tree and did a series of hand seals.

"Katon! Dancing Flame Dragons Technique!"

The dragons returned, encircling the Itachi clones at once. They danced around while Sakura tried to locate Itachi's chakra. She panicked when she found out that Itachi was trapped inside her technique.

"Itachi-sama!" She jumped down and, as if the dragons read her mind, stopped their dance. She saw a large rectangular wall of fire in the middle, protecting the real Itachi.

"A barrier," she smirked. "I should've known."

"Yes, Sakura, I'm not foolish enough to get burned inside your flame technique." Itachi spoke from behind her, placing a kunai on her neck. Sakura poofed, replacing her body with a log.

"A kawarimi," Itachi mumbled. "The blossom's pretty feisty today."

At that moment Sakura appeared above him, lifting her foot to position a chakra-enforced kick on him. He blocked the kick with a punch of his own. He thwarted and dodged the next series of punches coming from the rosette. Once she slowed down from fatigue Itachi swept his foot against hers, effectively making the blossom fall down on her back. He pinned her wrists on either side of her face and straddled her hips, rendering any of her movements useless.

"Looks like I won," he chuckled smugly.

"Fine, fine," Sakura grumbled, wriggling her way to freedom. However, Itachi held her wrists tight and pushed her further to the ground.

"Hn," Itachi chided her. "What makes you think you can get away so easily?"

Sakura raised her eyebrows, and then smiled deviously. "This." She sank to the ground and reappeared a few meters from the Uchiha.

"That wasn't fair."

"I don't play fair." Sakura retorted.

"Whatever. What matters was you lost," Itachi pointed out. "And as punishment you have to treat me at the dango shop."

"I don't wanna!" Sakura pouted, sticking her lower lip out like a little child. Itachi growled, wanting to ravish those rosy lips. He controlled himself and shook his head clear of those thoughts.

He walked over to her, ruffling her hair. "C'mon, it's already lunchtime."

ღ×ღ×ღ

"It's amazing how we got past the gate guards, Sasuke-sama," Kabuto complimented as he pushed his glasses further up his nose. He tucked a few stray strands of hazelnut hair from his face as the breeze swept through the two.

"Looks like the security of Konoha had downgraded a lot," Sasuke agreed. The two had disguised as different individuals – Kabuto changed his hair into a soft brown color that stopped just below his ears, and his eyes turned into a shade of blue. On the other hand, Sasuke traded his ducktailed hairstyle for a loose ponytail that reached his mid-back. His face had changed as well as his body, giving him an entire disguise.

They walked around the bustling streets of downtown Konoha, searching for a certain pink-haired woman. Sasuke looked around, then saw a flash of pink swerve towards the dango shop.

"Kabuto. I have spotted her. Let's go," Sasuke commanded. He headed towards the shop with Kabuto on his heels. Sure enough, he found Sakura by the counter, paying the shop owner grudgingly while Itachi stood behind her, smirking. After paying they sat down on a nearby booth, talking. Sasuke and Kabuto did the same, keeping a close eye on the two.

"What will you two have?" an old woman approached the Sound nin suspiciously. She had noticed the two's keen gaze on the rosette and her companion. Apparently Sakura and Itachi had observed this as well, and were keeping their guards up.

"I'll have green tea," Sasuke answered nonchalantly, while Kabuto shook his head, signifying he'll have nothing. The old woman nodded, and then returned to her place behind the counter.

A few minutes later she returned with a small tray. She approached Sakura and handed two orders of dango and honey-sweetened tea, then turned to Sasuke and gave him a cup of brewed green tea.

Sasuke sipped his drink calmly while watching the pink-haired girl out of the corner of his eye. Kabuto was keeping an eye on her as well; little did they know that the couple was talking about them.

"Uchiha-sama," Sakura started, "we've been getting stares from those odd people across our table. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen them before. Do you recognize either of them?"

"No." Itachi replied as he sipped his tea. "But I do get the feeling they're familiar. I'm sure I've known those chakra signatures…

"Sakura, your tea is getting cold. You might want to consume it while it's warm."

Instead of complying, she swirled the yellow liquid gently inside the small cup. Finally she stood up and said, "I'm going to the bathroom, Itachi-san. Will you wait for me outside? Also, you can finish my tea if you want."

"Hai, Sakura-chan."

ღ×ღ×ღ

"Itachi-san! Let's go back to the base," Sakura announced, tugging on the Uchiha's cloak sleeve.

"Kabuto, they're leaving. Let's go," Sasuke whispered, getting up to depart. They left their payment on the table and followed the two discreetly from a distance.

Little did they know that someone was following them as well.

ღ×ღ×ღ

Sakura and Itachi arrived at the base deep in the forestry of Konoha.

"Sakura," Itachi called from the doorway, "you coming in or not?"

"I think I'll just stay here for a while, Uchiha-sama," Sakura replied. Itachi just shrugged and went inside.

"Okay you cowardly pansies, you could show yourselves now."

Sasuke and Kabuto stepped out of the shadows.

"Miss me, _Cherry_?" Sasuke taunted.

"Oh sure, Sasuke-san. Not!" She smirked, leaving the brunette scowling. "Oh, nice disguise, by the way. It's not like _anyone_ could see right through them, except for me, of course."

"She really is sharp-tongued and clever, Sasuke-sama," Kabuto complimented, appraising the kunoichi's form. He and Sasuke dropped their henge.

"That's why she's perfect for this mission, Kabuto-kun. We gotta do everything to obtain her."

"What do you mean 'obtain'? Do I look like some object to you, huh, Uchiha?" Sakura spat out.

"No, Sakura," Sasuke answered, appearing behind her, "just a very pretty kunoichi."

Sakura blushed at his choice of words but kept her guard up. "I-I'm not t-that easy to pick up, asshole!"

"You think I'm an asshole, Sakura-_chan_?" He drawled out, tracing his fingers up on her upper arm. His other hand kept her hands in a strong hold behind her back, restraining any movement. He put his fingers on her pressure point at the neck but as he pressed it, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"A clone!" Kabuto exclaimed, grabbing his kunai just in case an enemy-nin jumps out.

"Miss me, _Chicken-butt_?" Sakura mocked, showing up on a tree branch not too far from them.

Kabuto threw his kunai at her direction. Sakura easily caught it and made a 'tsk' sound.

"That wasn't very nice, Four-eyes. Don't worry, this is the real Sakura. I've been following you since you left the dango shop." Sakura stated, twirling Kabuto's kunai on her finger. She jumped down and faced the Oto-nin. "Oh, and that seduction approach Sasuke – it wasn't very convincing, you know. You've still got a _long_ way to go before you become just like your pedophilic master – who was that again? Oro-bastard?"

"You've got no right to disrespect Orochimaru-sama!" Kabuto cried. He charged at Sakura with a punch, to which she easily avoided. She delivered a blow of her own, only to have it caught by Sasuke's palm.

"Playtime's over, my cherry blossom," Sasuke chided her, activating his Sharingan. "It's time to go. Kabuto, carry her."

"Hai, Sasuke-sama." Kabuto obeyed, picking up the unconscious Sakura.

* * *

**  
Me: Dun-dun-dun! Sakura got kidnapped!!**

**Sorry for the delayed chapter, too busy… Hope you understand… Don't hate me D:**

**I am recently suffering a severe case of jet lag. (It's 2 in the morning and I'm still wide awake!! Ugh.) And I'm writing this chapter in the Philippines! That's right, I'm staying here for a couple of months (my boyfriend isn't thrilled at all. I had to leave him back home D:)**

**Review Replies:**

**xhyperanimefreakx, kittychic0895, xXFoxy Scorpion BlossomXx and Black-Blue Moonlight Neko - Thanks guys!! I dedicated this chapter to those who reviewed and wished me the best... You guys make me cry xD**

**SeverusHermione - Thanks :) It worked, really.**

**xXBlue DazeXx - Yeah it's kinda fun, I guess... :S**

**DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW PLEEEEAAASE !!!!!!  
**


	10. Rescue

**A Thief Captured**

**Momo: I'm back! And alive! So please don't throw various pointy lethal things at me just because I haven't updated in… -*checks her calendar*- holy Mickey Mouse crap, more than half a year! O_O"**

***gathers her whole-body armor and helmet* Okay, now you can throw to your heart's content.**

***5 minutes later, after cleaning up the bloody mess and healing self miraculously***

**Well… Since I owe you readers an update, I'm repaying it with a longer chapter!**

**Standard disclaimers still apply (but I won't need to do this soon enough. *grins evilly*)**

**Haruka: *glares suspiciously* What are you planning?**

**Momo: You can't stop me, Perry the Platypus! *cackles maniacally***

**God, I sound like Doofenshmirtz. –.–" **

**Please enjoy! **

**

* * *

**

Chapter Ten: Rescue

Third Person POV

"Sakura's been what?" Konan exclaimed as Itachi announced Sakura's disappearance to the members of the Akatsuki.

"It seems that her kidnapping has something to do with the two people who have been observing us today," Itachi noted, remaining calm despite the situation.

Kisame burst through the door, a small note held in his hand. "Hey, I found this just outside the door. It's for you, Itachi."

'_The precious blossom is mine, aniki, and there's nothing you could do about it.'_

ღ×ღ×ღ

Sakura's POV

I opened my eyes groggily, and found myself restrained in... a bedroom?

"A bedroom, huh?" I said aloud. I let my eyes roam around the surroundings. A small desk with a paper and pen, a closet, a king-sized bed with plain white sheets, a small lamp, a man standing by the doorway...

Wait a minute. A _man_ standing by the doorway? It's Sasuke Uchiha! And he's staring at me, too! The nerve of the bastard!

"What do you want, you chicken-ass freak?" I spat out. I tried breaking the chains which bound my hands and feet, but it seems they were absorbing my chakra.

"Do you know why you're here, Sakura Haruno? Surely you've heard about me, haven't you?" He drawled, taking several steps towards my chained-up form.

"Yeah, you're the lunatic fuck who murdered Itachi-sama's family to impress that snake pedophile! What, you think Itachi-sama's gonna surrender to you by taking me hostage? Well, in that case, think again, bastard!"

"Ohh, but Sakura, I'm not after my stupid big brother. In fact," he traced his tongue from my chin towards my ear, "I'm after you."

"A-after me? What the fuck do you want with me?" I sputtered, not grasping the situation quite fully.

"I want you to be the next Uchiha matriarch." He explained bluntly, not even caring about my astonished reaction.

"Matriarch? Are you out of your mind? Of all people, why me?" I asked witheringly. I'm a weak, good-for-nothing thief, for Pete's sake! I depend on others just to get what I want! And now this stupid bastard chooses me?

"Well, let's see... You're very pretty, you have a lot of potential, and you managed to kill Orochimaru-sama – many people tried but only you succeeded. Plus, you're tied to the prominent organization of highly-skilled shinobi – the Akatsuki. Obtaining you gives me the ability to manipulate its members, even your so-called leader. Don't you see, Sakura? You're their most potent weapon." Sasuke went on as he nuzzled the crook of my neck.

"I can't say much about the first few reasons you said but... The part about me being the Akatsuki's weapon. What do you mean by that? I'm the weakest member of their group. How did that happen?" The rosette incredulously asked, unable to believe Sasuke's explanation.

"Tsk, tsk... You underestimate yourself too much. Aren't you wondering why they kept you instead of turning you over to the Hokage? If they played by the rules you would probably be rotting in jail right now. But no, they pulled a few strings and managed to get permission from the Hokage to put you on parole – but under their supervision. They did that because you're very powerful Sakura; in terms of medical ninjutsu you're unsurpassed, and on top of that you have a deadly strength most shinobi would die for. It's a shame you ended up as the Akatsuki's slave, not to mention a thief."

"Stop playing innocent. At least I didn't go murdering my own clan, not like you did." I huffed curtly. I was sick of having people rub it in my face that I'm a robber. It's not like it's my fault I am one!

"I have my own reasons for that, darling." He sensuously twirled a lock of my cherry-colored hair around his finger as he kissed my nose. "Now, shall we get started?"

ღ×ღ×ღ

Third Person POV

Panic spread throughout the Akatsuki base as everyone tried to figure out a plan to bust out the rosette from Sasuke's hellhole. As soon as Pein found out about the ordeal, he immediately suspended all upcoming missions in favor of rescuing Sakura (save for Hidan, Kakuzu, Deidara and Sasori, who were at a mission at that moment).

"Why do you think he would do such a thing?" Konan mused aloud as they were gathered inside Pein's office.

"It could be he's in need of a medic," Zetsu suggested, and everyone seemed to agree with his answer, until Kisame shook his head and said, "No, I don't think so. I know for a fact that Kabuto is also a medic."

"It only comes down to one possible answer," Itachi grimly announced. "He could've chosen her to help him restore the Uchiha clan."

"You mean, he…" The sapphire-haired woman's face was stricken with horror as the realization dawned upon them.

"Yes, he could be raping Sakura this very moment." Even though Itachi forbade himself to say it, he had no other choice.

"And that is why we must save Sakura as soon as possible." Pein's ringed eyes turned serious as he looked at his subordinates. "Kisame, Zetsu – you two scout the perimeter for any traces of the Uchiha. Tobi and Konan, you will keep an eye on the base. Itachi, go back to Otogakure to see if anyone there has information about Sasuke's whereabouts. If you encounter someone with important knowledge, don't hesitate to use force in order to acquire it. Do not approach Sasuke directly without reporting back to me. That is all; this meeting is adjourned." The assigned shinobi disappeared from the room instantly.

ღ×ღ×ღ

"Tadaima **[We're back]**," Deidara called as he and Sasori entered the Akatsuki base. Both were tired and worn-out from the difficult mission they came back from.

Silence ensued the base; a somber atmosphere looming about the area. The pair immediately knew there was something wrong.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" Sasori shouted. This time he was greeted by Konan, who wore a melancholic expression on her usually passive face.

"Okaerinasai, Deidara, Sasori. **[Welcome home, Deidara, Sasori.]** You might want to check in Leader-sama's office as soon as possible." She greeted them dismally.

"Why? Is something the matter, un?" Deidara worriedly asked, seeing as the other members were unusually absent.

"Sakura-chan... She's been held captive by Sasuke Uchiha."

Deidara and Sasori's eyes widened in shock as the news sank in their minds.

The stillness was broken when Deidara chuckled. "Tell me, this is a joke, right, hm?" He laughed, patting his red-haired partner's back.

His hilarity was replaced by fury when the others remained silent. With shaking fists he stomped down to Pein's office, slamming the doors open without prior warning.

"Where the fuck is Sakura? Tell me!" He roared wrathfully, his cerulean eyes darkening into a harsh shade of dark blue.

Pein ignored the blatant act of disrespect as he tried to put himself into the bomber's shoes. He would act the same way if something bad happened to Konan.

"I suppose you already heard the news from Konan. However, you must calm down, Deidara." He advised the blond soothingly.

"You're telling me to calm down? Do you think Sakura's abduction is a fucking walk in the park?" Deidara yelled; his patience growing thinner by the second.

"Deidara, you are not in the position to use that tone of voice at me. Trust me, I know how you feel, but do understand that the other members are trying their best to save Sakura from Sasuke's clutches." Pein explained calmly to him. Deidara's agitation seemed to have lessened a bit.

"If you want, you and Sasori can help Kisame and Zetsu in inspecting for clues."

"Where is Itachi, hm?" Deidara's anger subsided for now, just until he was in front of Leader.

"I sent him back to Otogakure to see if he can obtain helpful information on where Sasuke might be hiding. Do you want to go after him?" Pein offered.

"No, I'll just stick with Kisame and Zetsu. My flying skills ought to be a lot helpful for them, hm." The golden-haired artist bowed before exiting the office. His determination to find his beloved shone in his eyes like fire.

When Deidara returned to the ground floor, he found Sasori and Konan sitting on the couch. They seemed to be awfully worried as the time passed by.

"I'm going out, yeah. Do you guys want to come with me?" He proffered, preparing his means of transportation outside the door.

"I can't. Leader-sama ordered me to keep watch while the others are gone," Konan refused the offer.

"You go, Deidara. I have a few wounds that need to be tended to." Sasori told Deidara.

"Good luck, Deidara. And come back safe," Konan called after him, as the blond soared above the trees, eager to rescue his Sakura-chan.

ღ×ღ×ღ

"Shit! Let go of me, you crazy goddamned fuck!" Sakura shrieked, resisting the onyx-haired man's ministrations. She kicked her legs against his in an attempt to push him away, but it only proved useless as he straddled her hips, effectively pinning down the lower part of her body.

"I said let–" Her screams were silenced when Sasuke placed his lips on hers. His tongue stroked her lower lip, begging for entrance he was instantly denied. He deftly grabbed one of Sakura's breasts and squeezed, earning an involuntary moan from the rosette. He took this chance to slip his tongue inside her mouth, exploring her warm cavern and massaging her tongue with his.

Sakura used her tongue to push away Sasuke's offending appendage, but he mistook it as arousal and the two started to fight for dominance. In the end Sakura won, but she slumped down as she ran out of breath. Sasuke pulled away, leaving her panting for breath, and dove down to her neck, sucking and licking greedily at her creamy skin. Sakura shivered uncontrollably as she tried to suppress her moans, and her captor noticed this.

"Give in to me, Sakura. I know you want this," he urged her like the devil, his hands toying with the hem of her biker shorts.

"Not in your life, you dirty scum," Sakura spat venomously.

"If that's the case then I guess I have no choice." He swiftly pulled down her biker shorts, exposing her white lace panties. Her arrogant expression turned into pure repulsion as she realized what he was going to do to her.

ღ×ღ×ღ

"Where is Sasuke?" Itachi demanded menacingly, his eyes reflecting the Sharingan. He tightened his grip on Kabuto's neck, choking the said man. He had found the medic not too far away from Orochimaru's former base.

Itachi's only reply was the small tinkling sound Kabuto's glasses had made when they fell off from his face, shattering into a million pieces. "Answer me," the Sharingan wielder hissed, his ruby-colored eyes promising pain and torture for those who defied him.

Kabuto felt his defenses slip as he finally gave in. He was a coward at heart, willing to betray his comrades at the cost of his life. "H-he's inside the base, u-underground," The Oto-nin croaked out as he felt his lungs ache for air.

"Tell me which way to go," Itachi ordered. He wasn't willing to let go of Kabuto until he had acquired all of the information needed.

"F-flick the small switch at the s-seat of Sasuke's t-throne. A s-small stairway should appear in front of y-you. It leads d-directly to S-Sasuke's chambers, where he locked up the k-kunoichi."

"Is that all?"

"Y-yes..." Itachi finally released the silver-haired man, who was avariciously inflating his burning lungs with sweet air. He left towards the direction of Sasuke's castle, but not before knocking out the Sound medic.

ღ×ღ×ღ

Sasuke teasingly fingered the waistband of Sakura's underwear, amusingly watching the rose-haired woman's expressions flicker from anger and disgust, to terror, and finally, to embarrassment.

"Tell me, my princess, are you a virgin?" He purred seductively, making the kunoichi blush profusely. He laughed at the display of demureness coming from Sakura.

"I guess I'm going to enjoy this a lot." He inserted a digit into Sakura's core, eliciting a surprised gasp from the woman. He slowly pumped in and out, as he was intending to tease her. Her gasps escalated into small mewls and whimpers, even though she was thoroughly revolted with herself in reacting in such a way.

Sasuke's ears were drowning themselves with the pink-haired nymph's cries of pleasures. "Tell me, my dear, do you want more?" He whispered, his hot breath brushing against Sakura's ear.

The emerald-eyed girl was about to answer when the door burst open, its splinters flying across the room. A fragment scraped Sasuke's cheek when he turned to see who interrupted him.

"Get your filthy hands off her!" There, in the doorway, stood Sakura's savior, Itachi Uchiha. His Sharingan was spinning wildly, revealing the man's killer intent.

Sasuke stood up, furious that his brother ruined his sick fun. "Get the hell out here. I don't remember inviting you!" He growled, tugging at Sakura's wrist. "See this? She's mine, so fuck off."

Sakura's pained yelp was enough to drive the older Uchiha livid with wrath. He strode forward and placed a strong kick on the younger Uchiha's gut, sending him to nearby wall. Afterwards he appeared by the rosette's side, snapping the chains in half.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Itachi asked the sobbing woman who was rubbing her sore wrists. Seeing her lack of decent attire, he wrapped her nearly-bare body with his cloak. Itachi's warmth and smell immediately calmed down Sakura, who was still shaking violently with sobs. Itachi helped her up, and carried her out of the room, away from Sasuke's grasp.

"Where do you think you're taking her, Itachi?" Sasuke barked, struggling to stand up despite his broken ribs. His Sharingan was activated as well, the blood-red color intimidating the rosette.

"Run, Sakura. Go straight to Konoha and find the others," Itachi instructed her, hurriedly steering her upstairs.

"But Itachi-sama, what about you? I shouldn't leave you alone," she protested, refusing to let go of her senior's hand.

"I'll be fine; this is a serious matter between me and my brother. It's about time we settled this," he told her. He blessed her with a kiss on her forehead and gently pushed her away. "Go now, Sakura!"

With a last sad look, Sakura dashed up the stairs, porcelain tears streaming down her face.

'_Keep safe, Itachi.'  


* * *

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**Momo-chan: Yosh! This should make up for my lack of punctuality. *cuddles her Sasuke plushie***

**Haruka: Die you evil bastard! *grabs the plushie and stomps repeatedly on it***

**Momo-chan: NOOOO! SASUKE-KUN! *picks up the remains of the doll then glares viciously at Haruka* What's the big idea, you bidiot? (Bidiot – big idiot. LOL, I made that up. XD)**

**Haruka: He molested Sakura-chan! He deserves to go to hell!**

**Momo-chan: But it was the only one I had left! *wails pitifully***

**So tell me what you think and please review… And could you guys throw in another Sasuke plushie for me, pretty please? I think I deserve it for another chapter done. *does the puppy-dog eyes***

**Review Replies:**

**itaXalex, uchiha miyo, xhyperanimefreakx, kittychic0895, Black-Blue Moonlight Nekoand Hotoki-chan124 - Thanks my dears! ^^**

**KINGOFEMOSFOREVER - Dude, don't die yet! I need you and your unwavering support! *hugs you* :DD**

**Kisamegirl1134 - Just a random idea. :P Thanks anyways!  
**


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